BONN (dpa-AFX) - Internet providers in Germany often fail to deliver the data transfer speeds they have contractually promised customers. That is according to the annual report of the Federal Network Agency, which was published in Bonn on Wednesday. In the case of fixed-line Internet, only 42.3 percent of users achieved the contractually agreed maximum data transfer rate. 84.4 percent achieved at least half that rate in downloads. For 15.6 percent, the fixed-network line did not even offer half the promised speed.

Despite the often too low values, most customers (78.2 percent) were satisfied with the performance of their broadband connection and awarded school grades between 1 and 3. Less than 11 percent of customers gave their connection a grade of 5 or 6.

In mobile communications, the figures from last year's measurements looked even worse than in the fixed network. Across all bandwidth classes and providers, only 23.2 percent of users received at least half of the contractually agreed maximum data transfer rate in downloads. And only 3 percent fully achieved or exceeded this rate.

The president of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, said the results were still not satisfactory. "Affected consumers can prove underperformance in the fixed network with our broadband measurement in order to assert their rights against their provider."

The results of the broadband measurement depend on which rate the user has agreed with the provider. Therefore, no statements on the supply situation or availability of broadband Internet access services can be derived from the broadband measurement. It merely checks whether providers are delivering the contractually guaranteed bandwidth to their customers./DP/mis