Here’s where to find the fastest internet in Germany

Internet speed can vary greatly across the country, so if you’re feeling tied down by a slow connection, perhaps it’s time to consider a move.
A new study from consumer comparison website Verivox shows how greatly average internet speeds can vary from one corner of Germany to another.

The study, seen and reported on by Spiegel on Friday, looked at 25 big cities in Germany and compared their average internet speeds in megabits per second (Mbits/s).

Karlsruhe in the southwest state of Baden-Württemberg had the absolute fastest average rate at 70 Mbits/s, while the central city of Erfurt had speeds of less than half that: 31 Mbits/s. Karlsruhe locals were also surfing about twice as fast as Munich’s residents, whose speeds were on average 36 Mbits/s.

Surprisingly, startup hub Berlin fell within the lower half of the internet rates at 42 Mbits/s, and the wealthy Bavarian capital of Munich was the third worst city.

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Above: green areas indicate high internet speeds, the magenta areas indicate lower speeds.

In general, west and southwest Germany seemed to have the best rates, with Rhineland cities like Essen, Cologne and Düsseldorf all boasting rates of over 50 Mbits/s. Aside from Karlsruhe in Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart had the third best rate of 61 Mbits/s.

In central Germany, while the two major cities of Frankfurt and Wiesbaden had comparatively speedy Internet rates of more than 60 Mbits/s, nearby Mainz was flailing behind at 40 Mbits/s.

The report also revealed how few internet provider options those outside of cities have, as well as how much more they pay compared to city dwellers. The biggest difference could be seen in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein where city residents pay on average €306.60 per year for internet, while small town locals pay €362.88 – a €56.28 difference.