[madmaze]

I completely agree, when I moved to the US from Germany about 7 years ago, a large majority of the people I got to know were still running dialup. In Germany the years prior to my move, I cannot remember a single person not having at least DSL. Then the next major shock I got was when looking at ISP and Cellphone carrier prices! at the moment I am paying 60$/mo for 12down 2up (in boston). My Brother in a small town in southern Germany gets 2 unlimited phone lines, cable TV and 50down 12up for 40euros/mo so about 60$/mo. Im not sure how this difference in price can be explained, Especially because in boston my internet goes down every few days since all the lines are run overground.

[zwieback]

Since you seem to have more up-to-date experience I'll ask this: what are the other fees Germans pay for telecom? Are there other taxes or fees that are payed separately?

I moved away from Germany almost 20 years ago but at the time my parents were still paying "Anmeldungsgebuehr" for their TVs/radios, the basic phone service was really cheap but local calls were metered in 8min increments.

I believe one of the big problems for the majority of Americans (myself certainly included) is the limbo created by poorly regulated local monopolies - I can choose between Qwest DSL and Comcast, neither are particularly good and both are expensive. There's not enough regulation to create a good minimum service level but there's enough regulation to prevent local players from really growing.

One thing I have to say, though, the pictures of the Sonic guys installing fiber look really scary. I could never get away with a crappy wiring job like this at work yet around town you see the worst kind of spaghetti jobs, crooked masts chewed up by woodpeckers, home-made looking junction boxes, etc.

[kayoone]

Telekom wasnt even a private company 20 years ago and they had a monopoly. Today you can choose between lots of ISPs/Telco companies. I get 64/5 Mbit with 2 unlimited phone lines and cable TV for about 50 EUR in a small german city. No one i know still has metered calls in germany. Prices fell and speeds have risen dramatically in the last 5-6 years.

[pbreit]

I don't think making these types of cross-country comparisons is all tha helpful. Do people know, for example, that in Germany it is illegal for most stores to be open on Sunday? Things work differently in different countries. We get it.

[mikecane]

It used to be illegal here in the States too, within my lifetime. We had Blue Laws. And I think such comparisons are valid because it highlights a huge hole in the vision of American leadership -- both political and corporate.

[mattdeboard]

Had? That's cute. Come to Indiana. Liquor stores aren't open on Sundays here as it's illegal for then to sell alcohol on the sabbath. Why the fuck did I move back.

[dantheman]

Liquor stores often fight laws allowing sales on sundays. When the stores are closed on sundays everyone just purchases what they need during the rest of the week. So they don't lose sales & have reduced costs - no staff on sunday.

In MA they did their best to stop it, but luckily people voted for freedom :P

[reemrevnivek]

The Sabbath is on Saturday; ask any Jew or Seventh-day Adventist. Most Christians observe a day of rest on Sunday.

[mattdeboard]

I know the provenance is Jewish, but it's used for Sunday here as well.