Abolition of the service charge privilege - what does this mean?

Until now, many households throughout Germany have paid for cable TV via service charges and thus received the cable connection via the landlord, which is known as the service charge privilege.

The updated Telecommunications Act will abolish this privilege and from 01.07.2024 at the latest, these costs may no longer be billed via the ancillary costs.

What exactly is the service charge privilege?

The service charge privilege allows landlords to pass on the costs of the cable connection to their tenants.

In many cases, owners or the relevant administrations have concluded large-scale contracts with cable service providers and thus decided on TV reception. The costs for these services are then billed via a collective collection system. Tenants or apartment owners pay the cable fees directly to their administration as part of the ancillary costs. The administration in turn transfers this money to the relevant cable providers.

The amendments to the Telecommunications Act, which came into force on 01.12.2021, abolished this service charge privilege. The transitional period for implementation applies until 30.06.2024

Was muss ich jetzt tun?

Would you like to continue receiving your TV program via the cable connection? In this case, it is necessary to conclude a personal contract for your connection with a cable provider. This will give you access to traditional, linear television and you can enjoy channels such as ARD, ZDF, RTL, Sat1, Pro7 and others. This tariff is then billed directly to the cable provider.

What alternatives do I have?

DVB-T2

DVB-T2 is a standard for digital television via antenna. In many areas, it is possible to receive around 40 channels in high definition (HD) with an indoor or outdoor antenna. You can start a free DVB-T2 reception check at freenet.tv/start and get a recommendation for a suitable antenna. A DVB-T2 receiver is required for reception, but this is already integrated in many newer TVs.

The antenna only needs to be connected to the receiver or TV and you can start watching immediately. Watching public channels is free of charge. To access private channels, you need a freenetTV subscription for around €8 per month.

IPTV

To watch television via streaming services, you need a broadband Internet connection.

Subscription prices for such services usually vary between 6 and 10 euros. Some providers even offer free access, but this is either limited in time or includes commercial breaks. With newer smart TVs, reception can be easily implemented via a corresponding app, while older TV models require an HDMI stick that is plugged into the device.

Satellite television

Satellite reception offers the widest selection of TV channels, which are available free and without encryption.

However, before deciding on this type of reception, you should clarify whether it is permitted and technically feasible to install a satellite dish at your place of residence.

DVB-T2

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