Figure for June: 44 percent

Faster internet is the most pressing wish for 44 percent of homeowners in Germany when it comes to improving their living situation. Living in an area with poor internet access has become a significant problem for homeowners in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting increase in working from home. Other desired changes, such as more space, a larger garden, or a shorter commute, play a far less significant role.

This figure is one of many findings from a recently published study conducted in cooperation with the Cologne Institute for Economic Research (IW Köln), which examined, among other things, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Germans' housing requirements. The study also shows that the percentage of homeowners who are generally satisfied with their living situation – despite internet connectivity issues – actually increased during the pandemic. At 62 percent, the percentage of satisfied homeowners is more than three times higher than that of renters. This difference is even more pronounced when looking at the percentage of those who seriously considered moving as a result of their experiences during the pandemic. Among homeowners, this figure was 2.3 percent, while among renters it was 18 percent – ​​almost eight times as many.

The enormous importance of broadband expansion in previously underserved regions becomes all the more apparent when one considers that the lack of fast internet appears to be almost the only obstacle to a trend that has also been intensified by the pandemic: Families, in particular, are increasingly moving from metropolitan areas to the surrounding countryside or even to more distant rural regions to fulfill their dream of homeownership. As a result of this development, not only are property prices in the areas surrounding the six largest metropolitan areas now rising more sharply than in the metropolitan areas themselves, but properties are also becoming more expensive in many places far from major cities. City dwellers are moving "out to the countryside," halting or even reversing the years-long population decline. How much stronger could this movement become if good internet access were guaranteed across the board!

But there is hope: the Telecommunications Act passed by the Bundestag in April 2021 stipulates that every citizen has a right to fast internet, regardless of whether they live in the city or in the countryside.

You can find more information here:

https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/recht-auf-schnelles-internet-101.html

https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/wohnen/immobilienpreise-auf-dem-land-steigen-die-provinz-wird-teurer-17341886.html

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