The State of the Internet in Germany. First Findings

95 per cent of all households in Germany have Internet access. 86 per cent use it, in the age group of 16-54 years it is 99 per cent. However, fast Internet access is still unequally distributed.
 
These are initial findings from the study "The State of the Internet in Germany" presented by PD Dr. Matthias C. Kettemann at the Virtual Internet Governance Forum Germany. The recording of the event is now available on YouTube. Matthias Kettemann's presentation starts at minute 11:00.
 

Lack of Speed

Germany has a comparatively low average download speed, but a good cost structure from a global perspective. There are deficits in the participation of vulnerable groups in online settings. Another problem is that Germany still lacks nationwide coverage of free WiFi networks.

Human Rights Protection Online

From a global perspective, Germany has a good level of protection of basic and human rights on the Internet. Nevertheless, there are still some hurdles to be overcome in the equivalence of online/offline protection of human rights. One problem is the insufficiently disaggregated data material regarding the protection of persons with a migration background or persons who are attacked based on racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic or misogynist motives. In addition, there are still hurdles in the implementation of the right to Internet access for all. The police and forensic capabilities of law enforcement in online contexts remain expandable.

About the Study

The study "The State of the Internet in Germany" was conducted by the HBI on behalf of the German UNESCO Commission in July and August 2020 - partly through primary surveys, partly by contextualizing existing studies. The aim is to produce a comprehensive report on the state of the Internet in Germany and the state of digital policy based on the Internet Universality Indicators (IUI).