Mobile internet speeds are often significantly lower than network providers indicate, according to a study conducted by Sueddeutsche Zeitung in cooperation with Zafaco, Telecompaper.com writes on Oct 20, 2014. Every second user received only 38 percent of the marketed speed. Telekom and its discount brand Congstar ranked highest in the study, followed by Vodafone and E-Plus. LTE is only available to 21 percent of participants, although Telefonica promises 50 percent, Vodafone 70 percent and Telekom 77 percent.

The study analyzed data from tens of thousands of Apple and Android smartphone users with the help of an app. The measurements also revealed differences between the smartphone systems; on average, iPhone users reached 6.3 Mbps, and Android users only 3.9 Mbps.