Xref: utzoo news.sysadmin:2101 news.admin:4569
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!unido!altger!cld
From: cld@altger.UUCP (Claus L. Duerr)
Newsgroups: news.sysadmin,news.admin
Subject: Re: i2ack request for news/email supply connection
Message-ID: <1329@altger.UUCP>
Date: 25 Jan 89 18:47:19 GMT
References: <102@i2ack.UUCP> <9198@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <56046@pyramid.pyramid.com> <424@ispi.UUCP>
Reply-To: cld@altger.UUCP (Claus L. Duerr)
Organization: Digital Concepts
Lines: 29

In article <424@ispi.UUCP> jbayer@ispi.UUCP (Jonathan Bayer) writes:
>	Stupid question.  Why are trailblazers not legal in Europe?

most european state-controlled telephon companies are monopolists.
so they can make there own rules. and as they want to sell there own
modems (slow,not hayes-compatible commands,expensive) they try to keep
out other modems form the market.

the way they manage that is quite simple: 
1. modems must have a ZZF-number (here in germany), otherwise it's illegal
to use them. but to get a zzf-number for his modems, the manufactures
have to pay high fees for the technical tests made by the telephon companies.

2. there are strict conditions for the technical abilities of the modems.
if the modem doesn't fulfil the conditions: no zzf number ...

finally: trailblazers have no zzf number. and if they get on in the next
20 year they'll cost about two or three times more than in the usa.
so no1 can afford them.

nice, isn't it ? :-(

claus

-- 
| Claus L. Duerr  | "Some programmers have been known to howl at full .. |
| Munich          |  .. moons." - "Only at full moons ?!"                |
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