DSL is an abbreviation for Digital Subscriber Line.  People use it to refer to high-speed internet (broadband) over a normal phone line.

DSL became available for consumers at around the turn of the century, but has only really taken off since about 2003.

Users require at least a DSL modem that supports the PPPoE protocol, but most users today use a router which allows more than one computer to connect to the internet at the same time.

DSL line speeds vary according to location, even within the same town.  But all speeds, when they are available, are much faster than the previous modem technology.

Many companies that offer DSL contracts require their customers to sign up for a minimum of two years, although some, such as Alice, offer shorter terms and may therefore be more interesting to people coming to Germany for only a limited period of time.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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A Flatrate is a method of paying for telephone calls or for internet usage.

Generally a flatrate will mean that all calls to a particular network or destination are included in a fixed monthly price. Similarly, all internet usage may be included in that price.

Some flatrates do, however, have restrictions on them such as a maximum amount of minutes or Gigabytes that can be used in any one month.

Generally a combined telephone and internet flatrate will cost between 30EUR and 50EUR, although if you are only staying in Germany short-term then you should check the conditions carefully as most providers will want you to take out a 2-year contract.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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