Telekom tries some joined-up thinking

摘要

Deutsche Telekom's announcement in early October that it will merge ISP T-Online back into its fixed/broadband unit is recognition that it is beginning to lag behind in broadband Europe (see TTM, June 2004 p.24). But if it is to reintegrate the division successfully and send out a coherent broadband message to its customers, it will first need to iron out a few kinks. Germany has Europe's highest DSL subscriber base with 6.6 million installed lines, but broadband penetration—connections per 100 inhabitants—is low. Germany has less than a 15% penetration rate, according to Forrester Research, compared to around 27% in countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands. "In order for Germany to move forward into the broadband future, efficient competition is indispensable," said CEO Kai-Uwe Ricke at the T-Online announcement. "Instead of offering separate ranges of voice and Internet services to the customer, we will take an integrated approach," he added.