European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 31, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Plugging gaps in communication by Katie Hafner new York times c concern that telecommunications. Shortcomings Are hindering the economic and administrative fusing of the two Germany has led to new pressure to radically change the telecommunications Arm of Deutsche Bunde Spost Germany s lumbering supplier of Telephone and postal services. When the Berlin Wall fell a year ago Only 200 Telephone lines carried Calls from East Germany to West Germany and Only 1,100 in the other direction. While the Bunde Spost has moved to increase the number of lines its Pace has not been fast enough for Many German businesses and government offices trying to Complete Calls a. Quot i be spent entire Days doing nothing but trying to Call people in the West a said Wolfgang handler a civil Engineer in Leipzig. Quot i just end up with sore Quot in recent years european Community directives have forced the German government to Start deregulating its telecommunications monopoly whose Large profits help subsidize other government operations. But growing frustration among businesses like handler s is prompting the changes to com from the government itself. Experts in the government Are looking at ways to privatize the bundles Post a telecommunications monopoly without having to change existing Laws. Currently such a move would require a two thirds Majenty in parliament. Bunde Spost minister Christian Schwarz Schilling said this Morfit that the government was considering Selling a a minority share of the telecommunications business to \ offside investors. 1.such a Sale would raise Money to modernize the phone system and also help pay for German unification. And it is a logical step toward allowing bund Post competitors to provide Basic Telephone service. With the exception of the highly sophisticated ,. Telecommunications and surveillance network operated by the East German secret police the Telephone network in he former East Germany is a web of frayed cables and pre world War ii switching equipment. There Are Only about 1.8 million telephones or one for every 10 citizens in Eastern Germany. As in other parts of Eastern Europe it was not unusual to wait up to 20 years for a Telephone under the East German communist regime y but the most widely discussed problem comes in placing Calls Between the two former nations because of the Small number of lines. A. While Bunde Spost Tele Kom intends to increase the number o lines from East to West to 2,500 and those going from West to East to 3,100 by the end of this year demand for service far exceeds that capacity. Bundles Post Tele Kom has embarked on a program to bring the Telephone system in Eastern Germany up to the standards of Western Germany by 1997, the plan Calls for an investment of $36 billion. A a about 7,3 million new subscriber lines will be installed. Ii Quot i be spent entire Days doing nothing but trying to Call people in the West Quot Wolfgang handler civil Engineer in Leipzig about 10 million Miles of fiber optic Cable will be Laid and 2,000 Central offices equipped with sophisticated a digital Telephone switches will be 68,000 Public Telephone Booths will be installed in Rural areas that have never known telephones. A a new crash program announced last month. Bunde Spost Tele Kom s regular equipment suppliers Are taking Over the task of installing new Telephone networks in various cities. A. When the project is completed the former East Germany will have one of the most sophisticated Telephone networks in the world. And in putting the plan into Ellel Bunde Spost Tele Kom will become the largest employer in Eastern Gorf Nany taking on some 42,000 telecommunications workers. Quot to our knowledge no one in the world has done something like Lens so quickly Quot Schwarz Schilling said in an interview a but impatience and frustration on the part of Telephone customers in Eastern Germany is higher than Ever. Now imbued with a sense of the possible citizens of the five new Ger Nan states have sharply raised their demands for telephones and activity on the Telephone network in recent weeks has increased fifty food. Quot its a. Wonder the network does t break Down completely Quot. Schwarz Schilling said. \. As an intermediate measure last March the Bunde Spost extended its a Netz Mobile service to. Eastern Germany but that too was quickly overburdened. Government offices of the now states complain that. They Are unable to do their jobs because they have no telephones the government in Saxony was so frustrated that it set up its own illegal satellite link for Telephone conversations. A and some businesses have been forced to seek. Creative a and often expensive a solutions to the. Problem. To reach Branch offices in the East some Western by Way of other countries such As Switzerland and Austria where the Telephone. Lines going in and out of the Formor East Germany Are less ital tc10 \ a a what better Way to show the whole world that you care. You can print your personal Valentine message s to Farri ily special friends or loved ones in the stars and stripes Annua Valentine s Day Section on february 14. Quot v a ,.i. A. A. A. A a ,. To order your Valentine select the style you want from the samples shown write your message in 25 words or less. For longer messages add Ide per additional we Ord children 16 and under can Send messages for half Price. Make your Check or Money order payable in . Dollars do not Send Cash to stars and stripes fund e�fcwi74.deadline left at february 1,1991. Mailing address is stars and stripes attn Valentines Box 266, apr 09211-4211. Daddy Happy Valentines Day to the Best daddy in the world thanks for being there for. and me even when away. I love you very Muchl. Sweet Peak v a a style 1, Bove Only $6 00 $300 Lor 16$ under. Is Tif a in Fine Vou mean More to me than All the Grams of Sandin saudi. Happy Valentine s Dayl. . Happy Valentines Day How. Do i love thee. Let us count the Days. I love you husband to be style 3, above 8oied relent let %2�?~j00 $12.50lor 16$ under a a a style a left Heedt lne with Melee of $10.00 $6 00 Lor 16 $ under monday 31, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 7
