Some DSL and home phone packages of German providers such as Alice, Congstar and O2 Germany come with a minimum term of four or six weeks. The DSL packages include at least an analog landline and a DSL connection with a flat rate tariff for web access. Sometimes a flat rate tariff for landline calls to other home phones in Germany is already included as well. Since some providers rely in certain regions on a wholesale product of Deutsche Telekom in order to provide landline and broadband internet connections, they may add an additional EUR 5.00 per month to the standard monthly fee – depending on the place of residence of the subscriber. That is why in some cases the following overview of the Phone Guide Germany shows two prices for one DSL package.

People in Germany who are worried about friends or family members will probably not get through when trying to call Haiti now because after the devastating earthquake communications infrastructure in that country is down. And: Making a landline or a mobile phone call from Germany to Haiti can be really expensive. We show you how to keep costs low when calling friends or families in Haiti now or later.

Despite DSL, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is still quite popular among home phone users in Germany. It offers two lines, at least three phone numbers (Multiple Subscriber Numbers or MSN) and a better voice quality as well as more service attributes than analog lines. It also helps internet users who cannot get a DSL or another broadband connection by doubling the data transmission rate of the narrow-band internet connection. Here are three ISDN telephones that are available in German stores for less than EUR 100.00.

In a loose order we present individual price plans with a short minimum term for home phone, mobile phone or internet users in Germany. This time we give you all important details on the DSL package “DSL 16000 flex” of the provider Easybell. This DSL package includes a DSL line with data transmission rates of up to 16 mbps (download) and up to 1 mbps (upload) and a flat rate tariff for accessing the internet. The monthly charge for the user amounts to EUR 15.99, the set-up fee amounts to EUR 69.00. Currently, new subscribers pay only EUR 9.99 per month over the first half year. DSL hardware is available at the Easybell web shop for prices starting at EUR 39.00.

Two German call by call providers have cut their prices for international calls from Germany to countries like the United States, Spain and Turkey. With the call by call service 01085 users can make landline phone calls to home phones in the US for EUR 0.019 per minute, with the call by call service 010012 such calls only cost EUR 0.018 per minute. For making landline calls to home phones in Spain 010012 charges EUR 0.0188 per minute. Home phones in Turkey can be called for EUR 0.039 per minute with 01085. 01085 will not raise prices for these landline calls to the US and Turkey before January 31st, 2010. 010012 will not raise its prices for landline calls to Spain and the United States until March 30th, 2010.

Hansenet (Alice) is the first provider in Germany offering VDSL broadband lines with a short minimum term of just one month. The VDSL package “Alice Fun Speed” offers data transfer rates of up to 50 mbps (download) and 10 mbps (upload) and costs 44.90 euros per month. The broadband package includes one home phone line (Next Generation Networks) with a flat rate tariff for phone calls to other German home phones as well as an internet flat rate. The set-up fee amounts to 99.90 euros, for another one-time fee of 9.90 euros new customers can rent a WiFi router.

There is only one company operating fixed lines in all parts in Germany and offering home phone and DSL connections with a short minimum term: Deutsche Telekom with the brands T-Home and T-Online. On the other hand, the monthly fees and service charges of the T-Home offers seem very expensive compared to home phone and DSL packages of competitors in the market. However, there are several reasons why people living in Germany might still decide on a home phone and/or DSL connection of T-Home. The Phone Guide Germany explains what you have to be aware of when requesting a fixed line and compares home packages with short minimum term.