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Initial Set-up
Initial telephone applications can be
submitted at your local TKS office or at an off-post Deutsche Telekom
Office. Applications can also be processed at any German
Bunespost (post office).
Prior to applying for phone service, make sure you try to find out the
name and telephone number of the person who lived at your address
before you. If you are going to be residing on-post, the housing
office should be able to provide you with this information. If
living off-post, ask your landlord. With this information the
telephone company can identify what lines are at that address and
easily transfer the phone number to you. This may also eliminate
the need to send a technician to your home.
TIP: When completing the initial
application for telephone service, be sure to specifically request an
itemized phone bill. If an itemized phone bill is not specified,
then you will likely receive a one page bill with a vague summary of
charges and a grand total. An itemized phone bill will list each
and every call you made. This is crucial if you need to dispute
a bill with Telekom.
If you need to speak with Deutsche Telekom, you can call the following
numbers:
| Telekom Hotline |
0800 330 1000 |
Toll free |
| Billing Inquiries |
0800 330 1020 |
Toll free |
| Technical Support |
0800 330 1172 |
Toll free |
| ISDN Equipment
support |
0180 519 90 |
12 cents per minute |
Deutsche
Telekom offers two main types of service, analog and ISDN (digital).
Telekom charges users with a different local calling rate depending on
the time of day the call is initiated. There are no free phone
calls in Germany. Generally, calls made during a workday are the
most expensive, while calls made in the middle of the night are the
cheapest. In addition, Telekom charges users different rates
when calling within Germany, when calling different cell phones (rates
depend on which cell phone company the receiving party uses), and when
calling out of the country.
Deutsche Telekom charges all users for an initial setup and a monthly
fee. Users may pay a few Euro a month for a long distance plan,
which allows you to call the United States for less than 5 cents a
minute, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
T-NET (ANALOG) SERVICE
T-Net is Deutsche Telekom's term for a single basic analog phone line.
Connecting to the internet over a T-Net line is done through your
computer's modem and does not give you the option of talking on the
telephone and surfing the web at the same time.
ISDN SERVICE
ISDN is a digital service that offers users the ability to use two
phone lines at once. This allows you to be on the Internet and
talk on the phone at the same time. You can also talk on two
different phone lines at once.
When you order T-ISDN from Deutsche Telekom, you will get at least
three phone numbers. You can have more phone numbers if you
want, but you still have only two channels you can use at a time.
The phone numbers are independent of your two phone channels (phone
lines). You can use a single number for multiple devices or
route all the numbers to one device. If someone calls any of
your phone numbers, the phone company will route the calls to your
house. What you do with that incoming call is up to you and how
you program your devices. For example, you can make calls to a
particular number only ring at certain phones in your house.
When programming each phone with its own number, the phone bill will
separate the charges and show what calls were made from each number.
Connecting to the internet over ISDN is not done over your computer's
modem. Your modem is bypassed or disabled and the internet
connections are made through the ISDN box which is connected to your
computer via a USB port. The Theoretical maximum speed limit of
an analog modem is 56 Kilobits per second, but the actual usage is
more like 44 Kilobits per second and often much less. With ISDN you
get a true 64 Kilobits per second connection. Not only is ISDN
faster than a standard analog modem, it is more efficient. You
don't have to go through two digital-analog conversions just to
connect. Modems typically take 30-60 seconds to establish a
connection; an ISDN call usually takes less than 2 seconds.
Unless you plan on receiving calls or faxes on your computer, you
don't need to assign a phone number to your computer at all. You
can still access the internet over one or both ISDN channels.
DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER LINE (DSL) SERVICE
For those who want the
fastest internet connections available, Deutsche Telekom offers T-DSL.
It is a digital service that allows for much faster throughput.
With download speeds up to 768 Kilobits per second, DSL is about 12
times faster than ISDN and nearly 30 times faster than a 28.8 Kilobits
per second modem. T-DSL is actually Asynchronous DSL.
Uploads run at 128 Kilobits per second, a much slower rate than is
possible with downloads.
Unlike ISDN, you don't need to buy a bunch of equipment. In
addition to your analog or ISDN phone connection (and its hardware),
you only need two additional pieces of equipment. Included with
the T-DSL offer are a DSL Modem (NTBBA) and splitter (BBAE).
Your computer must be equipped with an Ethernet Network Interface Card
(NIC). If you don't have a NIC you can order one from Telekom or
pick one up at your Powerzone. Telekom provides the modem and
splitter free of charge. The minimum contract duration for DSL
is one year.
It is important to note that DSL is only an internet line for your
computer. You will still require phone service for making calls
-- either ISDN or analog. Additionally, DSL should not be
confused with an internet service provider (ISP). Depending on
your ISP and how much time you spend online, DSL can actually save you
money too. Having T-DSL provides you with opportunity to take
advantage of a flat rate not available with ISDN or analog internet
connections.
The problem with T-DSL is that isn't not available everywhere.
Several factors come into play including the quality and age of the
phone lines in your area, available bandwidth and the distance of your
house from your local Telekom switch.
DAMAGED
SHIPMENT?
SEE OUR GUIDE TO
CLAIMS FOR LOSS/DAMAGE TO HOUSEHOLD GOODS/BAGGAGE
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