Deutsche Telekom Searches for Flat-Rate Net Tech Solution

Deutsche Telekom is
said to be currently working on plans to introduce a flat-rate model for
Internet access in Germany.


This news was indirectly confirmed by the
chairman of the board Ron Sommer. A member of the board of directors, Detlev
Buchal, who is responsible for product marketing, commented that a special technical
solution was to be attempted.


One possibility might be that the narrow band D-channel (16KB/Sec),
currently used in the ISDN system for the transmission of telephone numbers
and user data, could in future become a permanent Internet access channel.

A further technical solution might be the extension of ISDN connections onto
a further data channel with a low transmission capacity. If slow-loading
content is called up, the system could then switch back to the normal ISDN
data rate, according to Buchal, which would then cost normal local telephone
fees.

These measures taken by Deutsche Telekom seem to be an attempt to protect
its network from overloading. Flat-rate experiments in Austria carried out
by Telekom Austria failed
due to their great popularity, when exchanges were no longer able to deal
with the onslaught of long-term internet users.

At present, most European Internet subscribers have to pay their local
telephone company by the minute when accessing the Internet. Pricing models
with free local phone calls similar to the U.S. remain rare in Europe.

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