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From: hgp@houem.UUCP (#H.PAGE)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Telebit TrailBlazer overseas (German phone system, really)
Message-ID: <1021@houem.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 4-Nov-87 08:37:42 EST
Article-I.D.: houem.1021
Posted: Wed Nov  4 08:37:42 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Nov-87 02:58:52 EST
References: <99@sda.atexrd.UUCP> <8676@pyramid.pyramid.com> <362@sering.cwi.nl> <250@stag.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 28

In article <250@stag.UUCP>, trb@stag.UUCP ( Todd Burkey ) writes:
> In article <362@sering.cwi.nl> dfk@cwi.nl (Daniel Karrenberg) writes:
> >
> >As to Germany the remarks are -sadly enough- very very true.
> >But less and less Germans care .....
> 
> I heard that Atari's modem (only 1200 baud) just recently got approved
> by the Bundepost (sp?) in Germany...does the post office in germany
> actually have that much say over what types of modems people use? (I
> had heard that they run the phone company...think I will avoid the
> obvious joke).

Yes, the German Post Office runs the phone system.  Although extremely 
efficient by European standards (my new service ONLY took two months), 
I was extremely surprised to find that their subscriber records were 
not on line (this was 1982).

At the time, customer premise equipment could only be leased from
the Bundespost (Carterfone, who's Carterfons??? ;-)). I think
this is starting to change at glacial speeds.

Everything cost about twice as much as it did in the USA and the bill 
does NOT itemize one's long distance calls, One can, however, lease a 
phone with a meter that tells how many units have been used.  

-- 

Howard G. Page   AT&T BTL,  HO 3E-537 +1 201 949-0113, ..!ihnp4!houem!hgp