Dear Telekom, You’re Just a Cable

I’ve borrowed this headline from Timo Hetzel (Bits und So / Undsoversum / Blog) because I find it so fitting. Many so-called providers still haven’t understood that at the end of the day, they are nothing more than a cable. A copper cable, a fiber optic cable, or a wireless connection — but still just a cable. They connect us with one another, through telephone lines or the internet.

But for years, these providers have been trying to be more than just the pipe through which the bits flow. They want to upsell us with “value-added services.” Sometimes with a bit of success, sometimes with spectacular failure. Deutsche Telekom has always been one of the pioneers of this approach, with products like T-Home or T-Entertain. But what the “Magenta squad” is attempting now is almost beyond words.

At first glance, Telekom’s reasoning sounds plausible: data volumes keep rising, and that costs money, while prices are going down. But is that really the truth? Does Telekom truly want to create “fairer” tariffs where heavy users pay more, or is this about slowing down competitors in the content business?

Because if we’re being fair, Entertain customers should be able to stream their TV content into their living rooms without it counting against their included data volume. But if you choose another provider, say Netflix or Lovefilm back then, suddenly you’re punished with data charges. Telekom could even double-dip: charge its own customers for data volume, while also collecting fees from content providers so their traffic isn’t throttled. A win-win for them, a lose-lose for us.

And here’s the word behind all of this: net neutrality.
The internet should not care which data flows through it. The data of an ordinary citizen should be treated the same as the data of IBM or Google. That principle is what’s at stake. Without it, only those who pay enough will see their traffic prioritized.

So what does our regulatory authority, or even the federal government, do? Nothing. They look away. They hope “the market” will somehow sort it out. And that’s exactly where I believe we citizens should step in.

If you have a Telekom landline contract that’s affected: cancel it. Switch to another provider that respects net neutrality and doesn’t trample on digital rights. There are cancellation assistants online that make the process simple, and you should absolutely state violation of net neutrality as your reason. In most areas of Germany, we’re fortunate to have several good alternatives. So let’s really let the market regulate — but in our favor.

Why is net neutrality so important?

It’s the same as asking why everyone should have equal rights to use the sidewalk. Whether rich or poor, you are not denied your right to walk to work, to the supermarket, or anywhere else. You’re not restricted in your freedom of movement. And yet that is essentially what Telekom is attempting: limiting internet access and freedom of expression for those who can’t afford to pay more.

The internet is no longer just a toy or a convenience. It has become one of the most important platforms for free speech, political debate, and global communication. It must remain neutral. Otherwise, one day we may see a web where CDU ads load faster than Green Party content, simply because they paid more. Sounds far-fetched? Maybe. But once Pandora’s box is opened, there’s no going back.