Internet price increase in Germany: when you can cancel early and how

Many internet customers in Germany received a letter from their provider in autumn 2026. 1&1 raised the price of selected DSL and fibre contracts held by existing customers by 3 euros a month, and Telekom has been charging new customers more since 1 October 2026. For running contracts there is a clear rule: if the provider changes the price unilaterally, you can cancel within three months without notice and at no cost under § 57(1) TKG. Whether the increase itself was lawful is currently being examined by the courts, based on a judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) of 10 September 2026.

Key points

• A price increase in a running contract entitles you to cancel without notice and at no cost (§ 57(1) TKG).
• Your cancellation must reach the provider within three months of receiving the notice. The contract ends no earlier than the day the price changes.
• The provider must announce the change one to two months in advance on a durable medium and point out your right to cancel.
• There is no special termination right if the change only benefits you, is purely administrative or is required by law, for example a change in VAT.
• According to the CJEU (C-669/24), EU law does not give providers a right of its own to change running contracts unilaterally. More than 116,000 people have joined the class action against Vodafone.

When do you have a special termination right after a price increase?

You have a special termination right (Sonderkündigungsrecht) as soon as your provider unilaterally changes the terms of your existing contract, and that includes a higher monthly fee. This is set out in § 57(1) TKG. The amount does not matter, even 1 euro more a month is enough. The Bundesnetzagentur (Federal Network Agency) sums it up: you can cancel within three months after the provider informed you, but the contract ends no earlier than the date the change takes effect.

The law has three exceptions. There is no right to cancel if the change is solely to your benefit, if it is purely administrative with no negative effects, or if it is directly required by EU or German law. The typical example of the last case is a change in VAT that the provider passes on one to one. An increase due to higher energy or operating costs falls under none of these exceptions.

Under § 57(2) TKG, the provider must inform you one to two months before the change takes effect, in clear language and on a durable medium such as a letter, email or PDF in the customer portal. The notice must state what changes and when, and point out your right to cancel.

Two situations are often confused. If only the prices for new customers go up, nothing changes in your contract and there is no special termination right. If your contract is already past its minimum term, you do not need the special termination right: under § 56(3) TKG you can cancel at any time with one month's notice anyway. More on this in the guide Cancelling your internet contract.

Which providers raised prices in autumn 2026?

In October 2026, the changes mainly affect existing 1&1 customers and new Telekom customers. At Vodafone, the dispute is about an older increase that is currently before the courts.

Provider	Change	Affected
1&1	+3 € a month from 1 to 10 October 2026	selected existing DSL and fibre contracts
Telekom	+1 € DSL, +2 € fibre since 1 October 2026	new customers and tariff changes
Vodafone	+5 € a month since spring 2023	many cable and DSL contracts, class action pending

According to reports by inside-digital, 1&1 confirmed the increase and cited higher energy and operating costs and higher wholesale prices. There is no public price list. According to customer letters, a DSL 50 contract, for example, goes up from 29.99 to 32.99 euros. At Telekom, according to Verivox, the new prices apply to new customers and to existing customers who change tariff. If you had already ordered, you keep the price from your order. Higher DSL wholesale charges have been announced for July 2027, so further increases are possible.

A simple calculation shows what 3 euros a month adds up to: with 18 months left on your contract you pay 54 euros more, over 24 months 72 euros. Whether switching pays off depends on what a new tariff costs over its entire term. New-customer prices are not always lower than the increased price for existing customers. You can work out the real monthly price including discounts and connection fee with the effective price calculator.

How do you cancel correctly after a price increase?

Cancel in writing or text form, expressly refer to the special termination right under § 57(1) TKG and keep to the three-month deadline from receiving the notice. Here is how:

1. Note the date: when did you receive the letter or email? The three months start on that day. If the notice reached you on 31 August 2026, the deadline ends on 30 November 2026.
2. Look for an alternative: check availability and tariffs at your address in the internet comparison before you cancel.
3. Send the cancellation: by letter, email or cancellation button, with your customer number, contract number and a sentence such as „Ich kündige meinen Vertrag wegen der angekündigten Preiserhöhung nach § 57 Abs. 1 TKG zum frühestmöglichen Zeitpunkt.“ (I am cancelling my contract because of the announced price increase under § 57(1) TKG at the earliest possible date.)
4. Ask for confirmation: the provider must confirm the end date. Keep the proof of sending and the reply.
5. Coordinate the switch: give your new provider the end date as your preferred switch date. Under § 59 TKG, your connection may be down for one working day at most during a switch. The guide Switching provider explains the process.

If you do not cancel, you will pay the new price for now. Many providers make a retention offer after a cancellation. It can pay to compare that offer with new-customer tariffs before you complete the switch.

What does the CJEU judgment of 10 September 2026 mean?

In case C-669/24, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Art. 105(4) of the European Electronic Communications Code does not give providers a right of their own to change running contracts unilaterally. The provision presupposes such a right and only gives customers the right to cancel if a change is made. Whether a price increase was lawful therefore depends on a valid contract clause under German law.

Ramona Pop, board member of the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv), commented: „Der Europäische Gerichtshof hat deutlich gemacht: Telekom-Anbieter dürfen laufende Verträge nicht ohne Weiteres ändern.“ (The Court of Justice has made it clear: telecom providers may not simply change running contracts.) This is from the vzbv statement of 10 September 2026. Whether Vodafone's specific price adjustment clause is valid will be decided by the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court in injunction proceedings (I-20 U 35/24). As of October 2026, there is no decision yet.

For you this means: a price increase is not automatically valid just because the provider announces it and you do not cancel. If you consider the increase unlawful, you can pay under reservation and tell the provider so in writing. Clarity will only come from the pending proceedings.

Is it still worth joining the Vodafone class action?

Yes. If you were affected by Vodafone's price increase from 2023, you can still join free of charge. The vzbv filed the class action (Sammelklage) with the Hamm Higher Regional Court on 13 November 2023 (I-12 VKl 1/23). It seeks repayment of the increase, usually 5 euros a month, plus interest. According to the vzbv, more than 116,000 people had registered by September 2026.

Registration is done via the claims register (Klageregister) at the Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz). It costs nothing and you do not need any documents. According to the Verbraucherzentrale (as of 2 October 2026), you can register until three weeks after the last oral hearing, for which no date has been set yet. Registered claims do not become time-barred while the case is pending. The Hamm court had suspended the proceedings at the end of 2025 to wait for the CJEU's answer, which has been available since 10 September 2026.

The class action only concerns Vodafone. As of October 2026, there are no comparable proceedings against 1&1 or other providers. There, the special termination right remains your most important tool.