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From: russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm
Subject: Re: Modems Illegal in Switzerland?
Keywords: modems, Big Brother
Message-ID: <1991Jan5.033330.11625@eng.umd.edu>
Date: 5 Jan 91 03:33:30 GMT
References: <1044@gistdev.gist.com> <1991Jan4.220510.4698@athena.mit.edu>
Sender: news@eng.umd.edu (C-News)
Organization: College of Engineering, Maryversity of Uniland, College Park
Lines: 31

In article <1991Jan4.220510.4698@athena.mit.edu> abennett@athena.mit.edu (Andrew Bennett) writes:
>In article <1044@gistdev.gist.com>, andy@gistdev.gist.com (Andy Warinner) writes:
>|> 
>|> I just purchased a Teleport 2400 baud modem (it uses an ADB port so there
>|> no external power supply to worry about).  When I asked my wife's
>|> employer in Switzerland about using it in Switzerland, they said that
>|> modems were illegal in Switzerland.  Is this true?  Is it one of those
>|> laws that is never enforced and only meant to guard the phone company
>|> monopoly?  Will I do hard time if I get nabbed? :-)
>|> 
>|> BTW, the modem has a send fax capability.  Can I use it to send faxes
>|> in Switzerland?
>|> 
>
>In Switzerland and Germany modems, phones, answering machines etc. must all be
>approved by the telecommunications ministry before you can use it.  Basically,
>that means that you can only use those devices that are pre-approved (there will
>be a sticker on the bottom/back).
>
>I don't know what they're looking for when they 'approve' such devices, I've
>'heard about' modems, faxes and answering machines in both countries that are
>not officially approved, and they work fine...
>
>Possibly a remnant of WWII/Cold War?

Until recentl (around 1984), this was true in the USA as well--  you actually
had to call a number and tell them the FCC numbers and REN numbers on any
device you connected to the line.  (a rule widely disregarded...)
--
Matthew T. Russotto	russotto@eng.umd.edu	russotto@wam.umd.edu
     .sig under construction, like the rest of this campus.