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From: jrobie@netmbx.UUCP (Jonathan Robie)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.german,soc.net-people,comp.protocols.misc
Subject: Re: Netzzugang fuer Deutsche Geschaefte
Message-ID: <2223@netmbx.UUCP>
Date: 8 Apr 91 17:39:42 GMT
References: <3801@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP>
Organization: netmbx, Berlin, Germany
Lines: 39

In article <3801@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP> carroll@ssc-vax.boeing.com (Jeff Carroll) writes:
>
>	I will be meeting in a couple of weeks with the principal of a
>	I know that there are some German businesses on Usenet, and I also
>know that TCP/IP has made considerable penetration into German universities.
>The number of German businesses on Usenet is small enough that I'm sure 
>most of them are doing something else. What is that something else?

False assumption.  The Deutsche Bundespost makes a policy of discouraging
effective telecommunication by using certification as a means of keeping
modems expensive, charging outrageous rates for its packet switching network,
promoting BTX systems as the One Solution for Everything, and ensuring that
there is enough line noise on common lines to make telecom generally irrita-
ting.

OK, Berlin has a big fast wide area ISDN network called Berkom, but the
normal business is not on this.


For perspective, realize that Germany is several years behind the States
in most things related to computers, especially for the normal end user.
The last two years were the time in which the average office first got
a computer, and my bank still can't look up transactions on line past
the current month! 
>
My suggestion: get him on Usenet, or BIX if you need immediate turn-around.
For BIX there is a Tymnet node in Frankfurt.  Usenet is cheaper.  Check
the world map or the postmaster at "unido" for connections.  The Universitz
of Dortmund seems to be a big hub for Usenet access in Germany.


Jonathan

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Jonathan Robie          jrobie@netmbx.UUCP
Boothstr. 23a           jrobie@in-berlin.de
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