DSL switch-off in Germany: when the copper network ends and what it means for your connection

Deutsche Telekom operates the old copper network that DSL and VDSL run on. Telekom may only switch this network off once the Bundesnetzagentur, Germany's telecoms regulator, allows it for a specific area. On its consumer page, the authority states: “Es gibt keinen bestimmten Zeitpunkt” (“There is no specific date”). As of October 2026, the Bundestag is debating a law intended to regulate the procedure. A first switch-off on a larger scale is therefore not expected for several years at the earliest.

Key points at a glance

• There is no switch-off date for DSL. Moving to fibre is currently voluntary.
• Under the Bundesnetzagentur's concept, an area only qualifies once at least 80 per cent of households and businesses can get fibre into the home.
• At least 36 months are to pass between announcement and switch-off, 24 of them without new DSL contracts.
• Cable internet is not affected by the copper switch-off.
• At the end of 2024, around 23.6 million households still used DSL, but only 5.3 million used fibre.

When will DSL be switched off?

DSL will not be switched off on a single cut-off date, but regionally and over many years. The Bundesnetzagentur names no date, and Telekom says it has not set a switch-off date either. In 2024 there were only very small pilot projects in selected areas.

The framework is set by the regulatory concept for the copper-to-fibre migration, which the Bundesnetzagentur presented on 19 January 2026. It is a recommendation to the legislator. The authority's president, Klaus Müller, sums up the goal: “Der Wechsel auf Glasfaser ist ein zukunftsorientiertes Internet-Upgrade für Deutschland” (“The switch to fibre is a forward-looking internet upgrade for Germany”). In June 2026, the federal government adopted the draft of a TKG amendment act (TKG-Änderungsgesetz). Under it, the Bundesnetzagentur can require a network operator with significant market power to submit a migration plan. According to the federal Gigabit Office, the law is due to be passed in 2026, with the second reading in the Bundesrat in mid-December.

At EU level, the draft Digital Networks Act provides for a largely complete copper switch-off by the end of 2035. This legislation has not been adopted yet either.

What deadlines does the Bundesnetzagentur plan?

The concept sets out three stages. The process may only start once at least 80 per cent of households and businesses in an area can be supplied via FTTH (fibre to the home) and an open wholesale offer exists for other providers. On the day of the switch-off, fibre should in principle be available throughout the area.

Step	Deadline (concept)	What you notice
Announce­ment	at least 12 months before the sales stop	information from your provider
Sales stop	at least 24 months before switch-off	no new DSL contracts in the area
Switch-­off	fibre available throughout the area	DSL ends, the contract is termi­nated

Together, that makes at least 36 months between announcement and switch-off. The Bundesnetzagentur's current consumer page still speaks of “at least one to two years” between the first information and decommissioning. Which period applies in the end will be decided by the law. According to the authority, one thing is certain: the copper network in an area may only be decommissioned once all customers have had the opportunity to change technology.

Who is affected by the DSL switch-off?

All connections running over Telekom's copper line are affected. This also applies if your contract is with another provider such as 1&1, o2 or Vodafone, because many DSL tariffs use the Telekom line as a wholesale product. The connection type is stated in your contract or in the product information sheet.

Not affected are cable connections via the TV cable network, fibre connections and mobile solutions such as 5G for your home. The Bundesnetzagentur's figures show the scale: at the end of 2024, around 23.6 million households used DSL and around 5.3 million used fibre. By mid-2025, 5.8 million fibre connections had been booked, around 13 per cent, while another 3.7 million had been completed but were unused (activity report 2024/2025).

For most DSL customers, nothing will change in the next few years. If you are building, moving or need a new contract anyway, check whether fibre is already available.

Do you have to switch to fibre now?

No. Switching is voluntary as long as no switch-off procedure is under way in your area. In the long run, however, the switch-off can mean that your DSL contract is terminated. Until then, you decide yourself whether and when to switch.

The main argument for switching is performance: fibre delivers symmetrical bandwidth and has enough headroom for decades. Costs and effort sometimes argue against it. A building connection added later can cost money once the pre-marketing phase is over. If you rent, the owner must in principle allow the connection work into your flat if you want a fibre contract.

Fibre contracts are subject to the same rules as other telecoms contracts. The minimum term is no more than 24 months, after which the contract can be cancelled monthly (cancelling your internet contract). If you sign on the doorstep or over the phone, you can withdraw within 14 days. Do not let yourself be pressured by the argument that DSL is about to be switched off: without an announcement from your provider, no deadline is running for you.

What should you do now?

First check which technology you have and whether fibre is available at your address. Then you can decide calmly.

• Clarify your connection type: If your contract says DSL, VDSL or “Vectoring”, your connection runs over copper. The technology check helps you classify it.
• Check availability: Look up fibre availability for your address with the network operator or in the comparison.
• Read letters from your provider: A genuine announcement names the area, dates and alternatives. Advertising letters do not.
• Plan the switch: When you change provider, your connection may be down for no more than one working day, and you can keep your phone number (switching provider).
• Measure your bandwidth: If your DSL consistently delivers too little, you already have rights under § 57 TKG today (slow internet).

If you are in dispute with your provider about the contract or the migration, you can contact the Bundesnetzagentur's telecoms arbitration board (Schlichtungsstelle Telekommunikation). You can compare fibre, cable and DSL tariffs in the internet comparison.