Once a rare thing in Germany, most German ISPs/telecoms now offer a flat-rate DSL option. But DSL access may not be available in all areas, sometimes even within the same city.
Wi-Fi and High-Speed Access in Germany
Wi-Fi (called W-LAN in German) net access in Germany and Europe is still a bit spotty. Most German business hotels offer Ethernet or wi-fi high-speed net access for either an hourly or a daily charge. For example, the final time I was there, the Kempinski Airport Hotel in Munich charged 20 euros per 24-hour time for unlimited access by its Ethernet (room) or wi-fi (lobby) connections. But a hotel in Munich offered free net access in its rooms, something fairly rare in Germany. Smaller hotels and pensions are more problematic. Sometimes there's problems even getting a dial-up connection (hard-wiring, unique jacks, etc.) It’s wise to ask before booking if you will need net access from your hotel.
ISPs in Germany
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Internet Service Providers in Germany
The largest German net service provider is Deutsche Telekom’s T-Online. There are also hundreds of local and regional ISPs in Germany, such as gmx.net, snafu.de, or Web.de (DSL).
T-Online (Deutsche Telekom)
T-Online is the online service of Deutsche Telekom and, such as AOL or MSN, offers its own content as well as net and Web access. See the T-Online Web site (in German) for current information.
AOL Germany
In January 2010 AOL announced it was closing its offices in Germany as segment of a major restructuring, but its online service remains. AOL members in Germany can access AOL by the country-wide number 0-19-14 from anywhere in Germany at the local phone rate, with dialup. Broadband (DSL) connections are also available. > AOL Deutschland
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Local and Regional ISPs / Cybercafes
Austria, Germany, as well as Switzerland have all gotten into the net and the Web in a large way. In addition to the “big three” above, each country has an array of local net service providers (ISPs) that offer a variety of services, including e-mail, home pages, as well as Web site hosting. Examples are eTel in Austria and snafu.de in Germany.
Web-based E-mail
With the advent of the “cybercafe” — see the links below — it is now possible to stay online while traveling without a computer. Business people and others have bought into the universal access offered through having a Web-based e-mail account with MSN’s Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, or some other free Web e-mail service. Many firms also provide web-based email for their employees. They can go into a cybercafe (or use a friend’s computer) to access their e-mail and surf the Web. Of course, a Web cafe doesn’t offer this service for free, but the cost is usually very reasonable.
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Mail2Web.com (free) or your own ISP’s Web mail allows you to check your e-mail account on the Web service. It’s a quick and easy way to access mail box from Web browser anywhere you have net access.
Modem Tips
Germany was one of the few countries in the world that once required modem users to register their modems with the telephone company. Because the law was widedly ignored—even through usually law-abiding Germans—and because the law was stupid, it’s no longer necessary to register your modem in Germany. But other problems persist for North Americans used to the standard RJ-11 phone plug and free local phone calls. However, RJ-11 phone plug converters can now be bought in Germany. Just go to a department store or telephone shop (anywhere mobile phones are sold) and ask for a connection cable with the RJ-11 connector for your laptop/notebook modem on one end, as well as the German connector on the other.
Hard-wired connections and unique dial tones are only two of those problems. I highly recommend a phone line tester that comes with plug adapters. It could save your computer! Thankfully, as DSL replaces dial-up, this is less of a problem.
A word of caution for business travelers!
Many German hotels charge high telephone fees (even for local calls)—sometimes up to seven times more than the regular Deutsche Telekom rates! To avoid a nasty surprise later, always check the rates before you go online from your hotel room. The good news: some American hotel chains in Europe, such as Marriott, do have RJ-11 phone plugs in their rooms. Also be wary of digital (ISDN) phone lines that is able to fry your modem!
Some German hotels also offer computer access for business travelers, but usually at a high price. However, during a recent stay in a respected business hotel in Germany, I discovered that the hotel’s sole computer (one, eins!) for public use was kaputt and unavailable at price. It may be wise to bring your own. Read Latest Internet And Computer Tips.
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