Berlin Is A Tech Hub, So Why Are Germany's Internet Speeds So Slow?

Berlin's flourishing tech scene attracts talent from across the globe. At a startup incubator in the western part of the city, an international team recently launched an app called SPRT, which connects sports enthusiasts.

Amy Cooper, a 20-year-old SPRT employee who moved to Germany from Britain last June, complains that Berlin's Internet speed is so slow, it feels like the old dial-up days she has heard her parents reminisce about.

"We're working in a coworking office where there's loads of startups, everything's online," Cooper says. "We use it every second of the day, so it's important for us that it works and that it's reliable. And most of the time, it's not, and that can be really frustrating."

Germany is Europe's largest economy, but business leaders warn it is in danger of losing its edge because of sluggish Internet connections. While other countries are thinking about whether to upgrade their cellphone systems to 5G, Germany is still grappling with 3G.

A report by Germany's Federal Network Agency last year showed that 29 percent of German Internet users reported Internet speeds of less than half of what was promised by service providers.