Principles for calculating affordable prices for telecommunications services
Year of issue 2022
Date of issue 2022.08.16
Determination aims to enable social and economic participation
The Bundesnetzagentur has today published its principles for calculating affordable prices for telecommunications services at a fixed location. The principles for calculating affordable prices aim to ensure that consumers are offered a minimum set of telecommunications services at affordable prices.
Basic set of telecommunications services
The lawmakers created the right to be supplied with telecommunications services at a fixed location at affordable prices in the Telecommunications Act that took effect on 1 December 2021. All consumers have a right to be supplied with voice communications services and an internet access service at affordable prices for adequate social and economic participation. The principles apply to telecommunications services at a fixed location, including the necessary connection to a public telecommunications network.
Calculation of affordable prices
The reference point used to calculate affordable prices is the national average of prices for products comparable with the basic set of services.
With respect to the affordable monthly price for using a service, account is also taken of extraordinary expenses associated with operating the telecommunications equipment, such as electricity costs incurred from operating a satellite dish.
The average price for connections in the relevant district can be used as the reference point for the affordable price for connection. This means that account is taken of particular regional factors that may influence the price for connection.
Prices for telecommunications services, including the necessary connection, that are supplied as part of the basic set of services should not be higher than the prices for comparable products offered on the market.
Minimum supply requirements
The minimum requirements for voice communication services and the internet access service are laid down in the Telecommunications Minimum Supply Ordinance (Telekommunikationsmindestversorgungsverordnung, TKMV), which entered into force on 1 June 2022 (www.bundesnetzagentur.de/tkmv – in German).