The problem of how to overcome the legacy of metered telecommunications in the age of the internet came to the forefront in Europe again yesterday, when Silyn-Tek Communications GmbH became the second internet service provider in Germany to offer unmetered net access. The firm said it will offer 24/7 internet access via a toll-free dialup number for DM399 ($212) per month, as part of its Surf1.de ISP.
The ISP also charges a set-up fee of DM149 ($79) and has a 24-hour cut-off, to avoid subscribers using their connections to run web servers. Rival ISP Mind Internet Services GmbH is also currently piloting a similar scheme for the sum of DM998 ($540) per month, but allows users to keep a static IP address.
Nobody would accuse the ISPs of offering affordable services for the average internet user. In the US, most surfers do not pay by the minute for local telephone calls, and a month of unlimited internet access with America Online Inc, for example, costs $21.95. In Europe, where local calls are metered, ISPs are forced to charge extortionate amounts for unmetered dialup via toll-free numbers in order to ensure they cover costs.
The UK has also recently started addressing the same problem. Some ISPs offer unmetered dialup at off-peak times (ideal for the average consumer), with or without subscription charges. Last week, a service similar to Surf1 launched, with a price of the equivalent of $80 per month, and AOL UK is also known to be piloting a similar, subscription-based scheme.
