A significant portion of German households continue to experience frustrating internet outages, according to a recent survey by price comparison portal Verivox. The findings, reported by Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers, reveal that 49% of respondents suffered a complete internet disruption at least once in the past twelve months. This represents a slight increase from the 47% reported a year prior, raising questions about the efficacy of ongoing infrastructure investments.
While acknowledging that short-term disruptions are unavoidable, Jörg Schamberg, Verivox’s telecommunications expert, highlights a critical issue: the cumbersome process for consumers to formally report service failures to the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur). “The reporting process is quite complex” he stated, suggesting a barrier to accountability for internet service providers (ISPs).
Interestingly, the survey data indicates a considerable drop in the overall number of people impacted by internet outages compared to 2023 (a decrease from 61% to 49%). The most notable improvement concerned those experiencing repeated outages, falling from 25% to a current 17%. This positive trend is partially attributed to burgeoning fiber optic infrastructure, but doesn’s erase the continued prevalence of disruptions.
A distinct geographical disparity exists, with 52% of respondents in North Rhine-Westphalia and other western German regions reporting network issues – exceeding the national average. Conversely, eastern Germany demonstrates comparatively robust connectivity, with only 42% experiencing outages, a further decline from 44% recorded last year. This divergence likely reflects varying investment timelines and differing population densities impacting network strain.
The survey also exposed a vulnerability amongst younger demographics (under 39) and families with children, who disproportionately report outages (59% and 61% respectively). Given these groups’ reliance on stable internet access for work, education and leisure, the recurring disruptions are likely to fuel consumer dissatisfaction and potentially drive competitor switching.
Schamberg emphasized that “a poor connection’s performance is a primary reason consumers switch providers”. He further clarified that “stability is more valuable to most internet users than price” a critical point for ISPs to address if they wish to retain customers. The findings illustrate a recurring disconnect: while infrastructure improvements are occurring, a significant portion of the German population continues to contend with unreliable internet service, raising questions about the speed and effectiveness of current network modernization strategies and further underlining the need for improved consumer reporting mechanisms.
The survey was conducted in July 2025, polling a representative sample of 1,016 individuals aged 18 to 79.