Court nixes Deutsche Telekom's broadband cap

A court in Germany has struck down plans by the country's biggest telecom company to drastically reduce Internet speeds for fixed-line broadband customers who surf too much.

Deutsche Telekom had warned that subscribers who made heavy use of their 'flat rate' broadband connections could see speeds cut to less than 10 percent of what they had signed up for.

The move prompted a wave of consumer protest when it was announced earlier this year.

A regional court in the western city of Cologne ruled Wednesday that the plan wasn't legal because customers could expect "flat rate" services not to be limited.

Deutsche Telekom said it disagreed with the ruling and was considering whether to appeal.

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