There are two types of telephone line available in Germany, namely analogue and digital.
Analogue - (known in Germany as "T-Net") This is the traditional telephone connection that has been around for over 50 years. The customer is allocated a single number, can buy a telephone from around €20 and can connect a standard analogue modem providing a maximum 56Kb upload speed and 33.6Kb download (in practice actual rates are about 15-20% less due to line quality issues). Using the telephone or internet from a standard modem blocks the phone line from making or receiving other calls. Analogue telephone lines can be extended or distributed around the home with the limitation that only one phone call (or modem-based internet connection) can be made at any one time. A basic analogue connection costs from €13.33 per month (plus call-charges), with a one-off connection charge of €51.57.
Digital - (usually "ISDN"- Integrated Subscriber Digital Network) ISDN is a popular alternative to analogue telephone services in Germany and is particularly economic in regard to similar products in other countries. Available throughout Germany, the ISDN service offers:
- No modification to existing telephone cabling coming into a house/apartment (in-house cabling may need modification!).
- A fully digital, high quality "network" connection to the German telephone system.
- 2 usable "channels", either or both of which can be used simultaneously for data (e.g. Internet) connection at 64Kb bi-directional or normal voice connections. The two data channels can be combined (if your computer equipment and your connected partner/ISP allow it) to achieve 128Kb rates, but with the downside that this blocks the network circuit from making or receiving further calls.
- 3 Telephone numbers as standard - up to 10 available at no extra cost.
- Special services such as call forwarding, call waiting, conference call, charge advice, number recognition (in most cases only if you have ISDN equipment that supports it).
- A range of pricing plans which combine monthly cost with differing call rates. ISDN connections cost from €23.60 per month (plus call-charges), with a one-off connection charge of €51.57.
Internet connectivity As described above both analogue and ISDN lines can be used to access the Internet using the necessary modem equipment. There are many different Internet providers available - most people access the Internet on a per-minute basis. In Germany many Internet Providers (ISPs) do not require any sign-up or commitment - simply calling a designated number to make the connection is enough. Typical cost is around 1.5 Eurocents per minute (which includes cost of the call, so is actually less than a normal local "voice" call), automatically charged back through your monthly telephone invoice. "Full Service" providers are available such as Compuserve and AOL, but these are to be avoided because of their fixed monthly charges, and for the non-German speaker their German software which is required to access their services. Note that it is usually not possible to transfer a AOL or Compuserve account from another country into the German equivalent, but it may be possible to access their e-mail from another service. There are NO flat-rate (fixed monthly cost, no connection charge) services for ISDN or analogue service in Germany.
A comparison of rates for German ISPs.
If you are trying to hook an American modem up to a German phone jack, the following may be useful: Here are pictures of German phone plugs. The only difference between the TAE-F phone wall plug and the TAE-N modem plug seems to be little bits of plastic which can be cut away with a knife. The standard American phone cable is called RJ-11. In Germany, many phone cables have an RJ-11 connector on the phone end. This kind of connector is called "Western" in Germany. Therefore a TAE-N/Western cable would seem to connect a U.S. modem to a German phone jack (only the rightmost of the three jacks?). However, there is a subtle difference between American and German RJ-11 cables: in the U.S. the data is carried on the inside pair of conductors, while in Germany the outside pair is used. I fixed this with a soldering iron, but your best bet is probably to just find a TAE-N/American RJ-11 converter.
High Speed Internet Connections - ADSL (often referred to as "Broadband") If you wish to have a higher speed Internet connection then the usual solution is "DSL" - Digital Subscriber Line, known as "T-DSL" in Germany. This is a MUCH faster data (Internet) connection providing up to 1536Kbaud upload (towards you), and 256Kbaud download (away from you) speeds, therefore up to 30 times faster than a standard analogue service. The usual domestic DSL connection has half these speeds (768Kbaud upload and 128Kbaud download). DSL is essentially an add-on to an analogue or ISDN service, and usually requires no changes to phone cabling into your home (but may need additional computer cabling). Unfortunately DSL is NOT available in every home, as local telephone exchange equipment may not have been brought up to date, your home may be too far from the exchange to support the service, or there are already too many people on your local circuit connected to the DSL service. Bavaria Satellite Systems have direct access to Telekom technical databases, and can easily check DSL availability at your home.
There is a fixed additional monthly charge of approximately €10 (depending on existing line type) over and above your analogue or ISDN monthly cost for the provision of DSL plus a one-off connection charge of €99.95 (for both new or conversion lines, in addition to other one-off connection costs which might apply) and it is usual to contract to an "Flat-rate" Internet service for access - typically €25-€30 per month which includes unlimited online time. There are also cheaper services which also have unlimited connect time but limit data transfer, e.g. to 5Gbytes per month. Some providers start at €6.99 with a 2Gb data limit but unlimited on-line time.
It is often the case in Germany that if you contract for a phone line (analogue or ISDN) at the same time as DSL that the DSL service will arrive much later. This is not normally a major problem the ISDN/analogue equipment can be provided at the outset and DSL simply tagged on later. From the hardware point of view an additional "splitter" box is provided by Telekom (free!) which splits the incoming line into the phone service (analogue or ISDN) and DSL. A special DSL network modem (Ethernet or USB) must then be purchased (from around €120) for connection to a PC or in-house network. With this high-speed Internet access it is not unusual to consider the connection of multiple (networked) PCs, but this will require additional equipment such as network hubs or routers. A particularly flexible solution is a "wireless" network, with each PC or LapTop having a special interface for wireless connection to a DSL router and therefore parallel and simultaneous access for any PC to the Internet. As the technology advances integrated devices such as wireless modem-router boxes are becoming available. In these circumstance all connected computers have, in effect an "always-on" Internet connection.
Need professional help? The above information has been kindly provided by Bavaria Satellite Systems and the copyright on this article is retained by them. For more info and for professional help with setting up your phone or internet connectivity, see: Eventful Communications
Note that prices quoted were accurate at time of publication but may have since changed (they do frequently change).