Discovering Germany

Communication and Media There is a considerable range of telephone, internet, and mobile options depending on your individual needs. It is advisable to refer to consumer advice centres or the Internet (e.g. www.billiger-surfen.de ) in order to find the current best possible offers.

Telephone and Internet Land Lines

The international telephone country code for Germany is +49. Depending on the city you live in, state prefixes will vary in length and the standard length of most phones numbers is between 10 and 11 digits. Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, O2, and E-Plus are some of Germany’s largest providers. There are different telephone systems available: + Analogue: one phone line (no internet). Least expensive system. + ISDN: Minimum of two phone lines and three phone numbers, several extra features, faster data transfer. + ADSL: Access technology that transfers data considerably faster than ISDN. Available almost throughout Germany, but not available in some remote areas or some parts of the city. Most providers offer flat rate packages for telephone lines, including DSL internet connections and sometimes mobile phones as well. Please be careful about contracts offered by the telecommunication providers. Some contracts are with one-month notice period, however, many offers are for a minimum of two years. Therefore, please ensure you are aware of the terms and conditions of any contract before signing. For longer term contracts (two-year minimum), providers insist on a compensation payment should you terminate the contract early, for example, the popular "Call & Surf" package from Deutsche Telekom. In some instances, as compensation you have to pay the full amount due until the end of the contract in a lump sum to get out of the contract. In general, please be aware that it may take a few days to a few weeks until your telephone phone and internet system can be set up and fully working. DSL is the most prevalent internet access technology with Deutsche Telekom as the industry leader. Other popular service providers are 1&1, Vodafone, O2, and Versatel. Call by Call Telephoning “Call-by-Call” can be less expensive than regular telephoning. Call-by-Call means that you dial a special number before your original telephone number. The cost of the call depends on the rates charged by the individual phone company. For numbers and costs please refer to the internet ( www.billiger-telefonieren.de or www.teltarif.de ). Please note that the telephone rates for Call-by-Call numbers may change daily.

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Discovering Germany