How Do You Get Phone and Internet in Germany? (2026)
Germany has three physical mobile networks, Telekom (D1), Vodafone (D2) and O2 / Telefónica, plus 1&1 building its own 5G on top of Vodafone national roaming. The cheapest way onto one of them is a value-brand SIM at EUR 8.99 for 25 GB with unlimited calls and SMS. Every German SIM needs identity verification before it activates, prepaid included, but prepaid needs no German address and no German bank account.
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How Is the German Telecom Market Structured?
The regulator is the Bundesnetzagentur, the federal regulator for telecoms, post, rail and the electricity and gas networks.
Three physical networks carry almost every German mobile plan, with a fourth being built:
- Telekom (D1): the best-rated German network according to connect 01/2026 and Ookla Q1-Q2 2026.
- Vodafone (D2): the second national network; its cable arm reaches about 24 million households.
- O2 / Telefónica: the highest measured 5G availability in Germany (Ookla H1 2025), though rural coverage still trails Telekom and Vodafone.
- 1&1: building its own 5G, with a claimed 95% coverage rising to about 100% by the end of 2026, and falling back to Vodafone national roaming meanwhile.
Value brands resell all three networks and set the real price floor. congstar and fraenk run on Telekom, SIMon mobile and Lidl Connect on Vodafone, ALDI TALK and Blau on O2. Supermarket and drugstore SIMs from Penny Mobil, ja! mobil, Kaufland mobil, NettoKOM and ROSSMANN mobil all sell 25 GB for EUR 8.99.
Which SIM Card or eSIM Should You Choose?
Start with the billing cycle, not the price. Most German prepaid tariffs renew every 28 days, which means 13 payments a year, not 12: EUR 8.99 per cycle is about EUR 9.74 a month. Only a few plans bill on the calendar month, notably fraenk at EUR 10 for 25 GB on Telekom and SIMon mobile at EUR 9.99 for 50 GB on Vodafone, both monthly cancellable.
Contract tariffs need a German address, a SEPA direct debit and a SCHUFA credit check, so most newcomers cannot get one in their first weeks. Prepaid needs neither an address nor a German bank account, only ID verification.
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Complete price table for all mobile plans and eSIMs in the catalogue.
How Do You Get Home Internet in Germany?
What is available depends on your address: DSL and VDSL almost everywhere, DOCSIS cable in the Vodafone and PŸUR footprints, fibre to the home where it has been built, and 5G/4G fixed wireless as a fallback. The cheapest priced plan in our catalogue is eazy50 at EUR 18.99 for 50/25 Mbit/s cable on a 24-month term, followed by PŸUR Pure Surf 50 at EUR 19.
If you do not want a 24-month commitment, congstar Homespot & Go S is EUR 22 a month for 50 Mbit/s fixed wireless on the Telekom network with a 1-month term and a 100 GB cap. At the top end, DNS:NET Glasfaser 2500 runs at 2500 Mbit/s for EUR 79.90. Home internet needs a SEPA IBAN, though not necessarily a German one, and does not require a completed address registration.
Plan around the wait: installation typically takes 7 to 21 days on DSL, 5 to 14 days on cable, 14 to 56 days on fibre, and 2 to 5 days on fixed wireless.
Not Sure Which Plan Fits You?
Use the quick picks below. For a personalised ranking, see the dedicated situation pages.
Landing this week
Telekom and Vodafone shops sit landside at Frankfurt Airport, with SIM vending machines in the terminals, and prices are the same as in town. Avoid arriving on a Sunday expecting a supermarket SIM: shops are closed, though airport and main-station outlets stay open.
Staying several months on a budget
ALDI TALK Kombi-Paket S is EUR 8.99 for 25 GB on the O2 network, sold at every Aldi checkout, with a 28-day cycle and a EUR 9.99 starter pack that includes EUR 10 of credit.
You want one predictable monthly bill
fraenk bills on the calendar month, so there is no 13th payment: EUR 10 for 25 GB on the Telekom network, eSIM in minutes, monthly cancellable, and the app is English-friendly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need ID to buy a SIM card in Germany?
Yes. Every German SIM card in our catalogue requires identity verification before the line activates, prepaid included. VideoIdent works with any passport, 24/7, and activation takes minutes to hours afterwards. Even SIMs bought from a vending machine still need online ID verification. You do not need a German address or a German bank account for prepaid.
Which mobile network is best in Germany?
Telekom (D1) is the best-rated German network according to connect 01/2026 and Ookla Q1-Q2 2026. O2 / Telefónica has the highest measured 5G availability in Germany (Ookla H1 2025), but its rural coverage still trails Telekom and Vodafone. Vodafone (D2) is the third national network. 1&1 is building its own 5G and falls back to Vodafone national roaming.
What is the cheapest mobile plan in Germany?
The value-brand floor is EUR 8.99 for 25 GB with unlimited calls and SMS. ALDI TALK, Lidl Connect, Penny Mobil, ja! mobil, Kaufland mobil, NettoKOM, and ROSSMANN mobil all sell at that price. It bills every 28 days, which is 13 payments a year, so the effective cost is about EUR 9.74 a month.
Can I use an eSIM in Germany?
Yes. Native German eSIMs with a real German number come from Telekom, Vodafone CallYa, O2, ALDI TALK, congstar, and 1&1. Travel eSIMs from Airalo, Saily, Holafly, Nomad, and Ubigi also work, but they are data only and give you no German phone number.
Who regulates telecoms in Germany?
The Bundesnetzagentur, the federal regulator for telecoms, post, rail and the electricity and gas networks.