Web prices may drop in Germany after pact

Iria · Aug 18, 2006, 09:59 PM

Source: IHT
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BERLIN - The European Commission, ending part of a three-year dispute with Germany, is scheduled to announce on Monday an agreement requiring Deutsche Telekom to sell wholesale access to its residential phone network, raising competition in Europe's largest market, according to a person with direct knowledge of the pact.

The accord could force Telekom, still 31.3-percent owned by the German government, to make broadband Internet access available to competitors by the end of the year.

If rivals take up the offer, the move would almost certainly lower prices for fast Internet subscriptions in Germany, where the technology has been slower to catch on under the market dominance of Deutsche Telekom. Broadband access offers speeds fast enough to make movies, music, phone calls and other data-heavy applications useful.

Aug 18, 2006, 09:59 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	Web prices may drop in Germany after pact Source: IHT _______ BERLIN - The European Commission, ending part of a three-year dispute with Germany, is scheduled to announce on Monday an agreement requiring Deutsche Telekom to sell wholesale access to its residential phone network, raising competition in Europe's largest market, according to a person with direct knowledge of the pact. The accord could force Telekom, still 31.3-percent owned by the German government, to make broadband Internet access available to competitors by the end of the year. If rivals take up the offer, the move would almost certainly lower prices for fast Internet subscriptions in Germany, where the technology has been slower to catch on under the market dominance of Deutsche Telekom. Broadband access offers speeds fast enough to make movies, music, phone calls and other data-heavy applications useful.