German states agree phone Internet licence fee

Germany’s 16 states agreed on Thursday to introduce from January 1 a licence fee of 5.52 Euros a month on computers and mobile phones that can access television and radio programmes via the Internet.

Any household or company that does not already have a licence will have to pay the new levy, which is the same as the one currently charged for radio access, state premiers agreed at a meeting in the town of Bad Pyrmont.

German households pay just over 17 euros a month to watch TV, but since more radio programmes are available over the Internet than TV, state broadcaster ARD wanted the fee for computers and phones to match that of radios.

The plan has attracted sharp criticism from industry groups that argue it would harm German firms, especially small and medium-sized businesses.

Germany’s TV licence fee is among the highest in Europe, with only Switzerland and the Nordic countries paying more. It funds four national public broadcasters, several local broadcasters and all the country’s public radio stations.

Source: Media Network, Reuters

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