Mobile internet at home instead of DSL
When a SIM card can replace or back up home internet in Germany, hotspot or router, how to test the network and what a lot of data costs today.
All prices in this guide come from our comparison of 386 German mobile tariffs and are average prices per month over 24 months, one-time costs included. As of .
When mobile internet works at home
A SIM card can carry your home internet if the network is strong where you live. It suits one or two people who browse, work from home and make video calls, a flat without a landline, or the weeks until the DSL is connected or repaired. All devices near a mobile cell share it, so speeds drop in the evening when most people are online. For a household that streams a lot, cable, DSL or fibre is usually steadier.
Three ways to do it
- Hotspot from your phone: no extra hardware, good for a backup. The phone gets warm and its battery drains, and the laptop’s data counts against your tariff.
- SIM card in an LTE or 5G router: the router stays by the window, where reception is best, and serves every device over Wi-Fi. Data tariffs are made for this. Some phone tariffs restrict use in a router or at a fixed location in their terms, so read them first.
- Home tariffs from the network operators: Telekom, Vodafone and o2 also sell tariffs with a router for one fixed address. They usually work only there and are not part of this comparison.
Test the network first
Reception differs from street to street and even between rooms. Before you commit, buy a cheap prepaid SIM card in each network you are considering and test it at home in the evening. If one network is slow everywhere in your home, a router will not change that much; another network might. Which network suits whom: which mobile network is best in Germany.
How much data you need
A video call takes roughly 0.5 to 1 GB an hour and HD video 1.5 to 3 GB an hour. Working from home with daily calls therefore takes roughly 50 to 100 GB a month; a household that streams needs unlimited data. More figures: how much mobile data do I really need.
What a lot of data costs today
| Data | Phone tariff | Data tariff | No minimum term |
|---|---|---|---|
| from 50 GB | Lebara Allnet 50 GB 50 GB, Ø €9.20 |
– | Lyca Mobile Lyca Extra 60 GB / 4 weeks, Ø €9.74 |
| from 100 GB | ALDI TALK Tarif S 25 GB / 4 weeks, then unlimited top-ups, Ø €10.82 |
– | ALDI TALK Tarif S 25 GB / 4 weeks, then unlimited top-ups, Ø €10.82 |
| Unlimited | ALDI TALK Tarif S 25 GB / 4 weeks, then unlimited top-ups, Ø €10.82 |
– | ALDI TALK Tarif S 25 GB / 4 weeks, then unlimited top-ups, Ø €10.82 |
All of them compared: tariffs with unlimited data and data tariffs for routers, tablets and laptops. For a backup during a DSL outage, a tariff without a minimum term is the safer choice.
Quick answers
Can mobile internet replace DSL at home?
For one or two people who browse, work from home and make video calls, often yes, if the network is strong at your address. A mobile cell is shared by everyone nearby, so speeds drop in the evening; for a household that streams a lot, cable, DSL or fibre is usually steadier.
Can I put the SIM card of my phone tariff into a router?
Technically yes: a SIM card works in any LTE or 5G router. Some tariffs restrict use in a router or at a fixed location in their terms, so check them first. Data tariffs are made for routers, tablets and laptops.
What does unlimited data without a minimum term cost?
The cheapest tariff with unlimited data and no minimum term today is ALDI TALK Tarif S at an average of €10.82 a month.
How do I find the best network at my address?
Buy a cheap prepaid SIM card in each network you are considering and test it at home in the evening, when most people are online. The operators’ coverage maps show the theory; the test shows what you really get.