Internet beim Umzug: mitnehmen oder neu abschliessen?

Warum der Umzug der beste Moment für einen Abo-Check ist

Most households stay with their internet provider for years without ever doing the math. The reason is rarely satisfaction — it's inertia: switching seems like a hassle, and the plan is running somehow. This very inertia is expensive, because new customers get promotional prices while existing customers quietly slide to the regular price once the promo ends. For internet packages, the difference is often several hundred francs per year.

This argument disappears when you move. You have to get in touch anyway, arrange an appointment and set up the router again. The effort for switching is therefore almost identical to the effort for keeping it. Anyone who seizes the moment saves without extra work — anyone who lets it pass continues to pay the old price at the new address. The comparison of current Internet- und TV-Angebote.

On top of that: different technical conditions apply at the new location — maybe fibre is available there where you previously had DSL, or maybe it's the other way round. The old plan is therefore no longer automatically the right choice.

Mitnehmen oder neu abschliessen? Die drei Ausgangslagen

Ob du dein Abo mitnimmst oder wechselst, hängt weniger von deinem Anbieter ab als von drei Fragen: Wie lange läuft dein Vertrag noch, ist deine Technologie am neuen Ort verfügbar, und zahlst du aktuell einen Aktions- oder einen Normalpreis?

Case 1 — Contract is expiring or has no minimum term. The simplest starting point: cancel on your moving date and sign up fresh at the new location. As a new customer, you'll get the current promotional prices and won't be tied to anything you signed two years ago.

Case 2 — Contract still runs for a long time, technology is available at the new location. Here, keeping the plan is usually the pragmatic way. Almost all providers have a relocation service for this: you report the new address, the connection is switched over, and the contract continues unchanged. But note the contract end date and set yourself a reminder — switching will pay off later, not never. How such a switch works is described in the article Switching internet plan.

Case 3 — Contract still runs, technology is not available at the new location. This is the case where you're most likely to get out early. If your provider simply can't deliver the agreed service at the new address, most will accept an early termination. Important: ask in writing, stating the new address, and get the answer confirmed.

Kündigungsfristen: Was in der Schweiz beim Umzug gilt

A widespread misconception: many assume that a move automatically triggers a special right of cancellation. In Switzerland this is not the case. Unlike in the EU, there is no legal rule that releases you from the contract early when you change apartments. Only your provider's terms and conditions are decisive — and they differ.

Üblich sind Mindestlaufzeiten von zwölf oder 24 Monaten und Kündigungsfristen von rund zwei Monaten. Wer erst kurz vor dem Umzug kündigt, zahlt noch monatelang für eine leere Wohnung — der häufigste vermeidbare Fehler.

Three points you should clarify before cancelling:

• Restlaufzeit: Stated in the contract confirmation or in the customer portal. Everything else is based on this.
• Form of cancellation: Many providers accept the customer portal, others require written form. When in doubt, do it in writing and with proof.
• Verfügbarkeit als Argument: Only if the technology is missing at the new location do you have real leverage — otherwise you're negotiating on goodwill.

Übrigens gilt dasselbe Prinzip fürs Handy-Abo: Auch dort zählen Restlaufzeit und Frist, nicht der gute Wille. Wer beides zusammen betrachtet, findet oft ein Kombi-Abo aus Handy und Internet, which is cheaper overall than two separate contracts.

Check the connection at the new location: fibre, cable or DSL

Before cancelling or ordering anything, clarify the technology. In Switzerland, most addresses have two to three ways to get online — but not the same ones everywhere. Fibre is now the standard in cities and new buildings, but far from it in rural municipalities and older buildings. Cable connections cover many apartment blocks but are completely absent in some neighbourhoods. DSL is the most widespread, but the weakest in terms of bandwidth.

What matters is: check adressgenau, not location by location. The providers' coverage maps generously show municipalities as covered, even if the line ends at the neighbouring house. The most reliable method is the availability check with street and house number — and, if possible, a quick look at the connection box of the new apartment or a question to the building management. In apartment buildings, a provider is sometimes already pre-installed, which effectively limits the choice.

Welche Technologie in deinem Fall überhaupt sinnvoll ist, hängt vom Nutzungsprofil ab. Wer nur streamt und surft, merkt zwischen einer schnellen Kabel- und einer Glasfaserleitung im Alltag wenig. Wer regelmässig grosse Dateien hochlädt oder im Home office arbeitet, profitiert dagegen deutlich vom besseren Upload. Die Unterschiede erklärt der Artikel Fibre, cable or DSL im Detail.

The timeline: from eight weeks before to moving day

The most common reason for a moving weekend without internet isn't a technical problem, but a process started too late. Cancellation period, processing time at the new provider and technician appointment quickly add up to several weeks. This schedule has proven itself:

A short overlap of one to two weeks is deliberately planned — so you're online right away at the new location, without paying for two plans for weeks.

These costs arise when moving — and here's how to avoid them

A move brings several cost items with an internet plan that hardly anyone has on their radar in advance. The good news: most of these are avoidable or negotiable.

The classic case is the last point: router, TV box and repeater are usually rented devices and must be returned after cancellation. Anyone who forgets this will later get an invoice for the device value — pack them in a separately labelled box when moving.

Wenn du unsicher bist, welche Variante bei deiner Ausgangslage unter dem Strich günstiger ist, rechnen wir das gerne mit dir durch — die Advice is free and non-binding.

At the new location: set up the router and TV

Ist die Leitung aufgeschaltet, entscheidet die Platzierung des Routers über die tatsächliche Qualität. Der häufigste Fehler: Der Router steht dort, wo die Anschlussdose ist — also im Korridor, hinter dem Schuhregal oder im Keller. Besser ist ein zentraler, erhöhter Standort ohne Möbel und Metall drumherum. Ein paar Meter Kabel von der Dose zum besseren Standort verbessern das WLAN oft mehr als jeder Repeater. Weitere Massnahmen findest du in den Tipps für besseres WLAN.

With TV, it's worth looking at what you actually use. Many households pay for a large channel package but practically only watch via apps. A move is a good opportunity to honestly check this — the article TV plan Switzerland hilft bei der Einordnung. In Kombination mit Internet sind TV-Pakete häufig deutlich günstiger als einzeln gebucht, was einen Side-by-side der Bundles lohnenswert macht.

Unsere Empfehlung für den Umzug

Wenn du am neuen Ort ohnehin neu abschliesst, empfehlen wir Yallo. In the current comparison, the packages top the list of cheapest offers both with and without TV, and this applies right up to the highest speed range — a point that makes a difference when moving into a new building with fibre. Details are in the Yallo test.

Ist an deiner neuen Adresse weder Glasfaser noch Kabel verfügbar, entscheidet ohnehin die Technik statt der Preis — dann zählt, wer an dieser Leitung überhaupt liefern kann. Eine aktuelle Übersicht aller Pakete inklusive Geschwindigkeiten findest du im Internet and TV guides, the daily updated prices in the Comparison.

Frequently asked questions