Can I use my own router or modem instead of the provider’s in Latvia?
EU law lets you use terminal equipment of your choice. In Latvia, providers must publish the technical parameters of the network connection point in enough detail for you to choose a suitable router or modem.
Many people prefer their own router. Whether your provider must let you connect it, and which details it must give you to set it up, depends on the rules in Latvia.
📜 The rules in Latvia
The details
- Under the EU Open Internet Regulation, you may use terminal equipment of your choice, and providers must treat all traffic equally. (publications.europa.eu)
- If a provider restricts which devices you can use, it must tell you before you sign, and the device purchase or rental contract must state that it will not work with other providers' similar services. (likumi.lv)
- If a package includes a device or an extra service, the provider must also offer the package without it. (likumi.lv)
- A device locked to the provider's network must be unlocked when your fixed-term obligations end, so you can use it with another provider. A separate installation contract may not include a router or modem. (likumi.lv)
Sabiedrisko pakalpojumu regulēšanas komisija (SPRK)
If your provider has not solved the problem, send SPRK a written complaint: signed with a secure e-signature to sprk@sprk.gov.lv, as a signed letter to Skanstes iela 25, Rīga, LV-1013, or through your official e-address.
🪜 Step by step
- Check that it fits your lineMake sure the router supports your type of connection: fibre, cable, DSL or mobile.
- Ask for the access detailsYou need the login data and settings for the internet connection and, if you have one, for phone service over the internet.
- Keep or return the provider’s deviceAsk whether you must return a rented router, and whether you keep paying for it.
- If the provider refusesAsk for the refusal in writing and contact the regulator or the dispute body.
📇 Who to contact
❓ Questions
Will the provider still help me if something goes wrong?
Providers usually support the connection itself, not equipment you bought. Keep their device and settings so you can test with them.
Do I still pay for the provider’s router?
Check your contract. If the router is rented, ask whether you can stop paying when you use your own.
Will my own router make my internet faster?
It can improve your Wi‑Fi, but the speed of the line itself stays the same.
📎 Sources
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