The largest European economy has serious coverage issues, and not just in isolated areas but also in large cities such as Berlin and Munich. A study found that mobile networks run at speeds slower than in Albania
It wasn’t a family member of his, but a family member of his post minister, a Mr Schwarz-Schilling, who was in the copper cable business. Kohl and his entire government are synonymous with incredible levels of corruption and nepotism. Kohl made corruption a kind of national sport for German politicians. Our upcoming Chancellor, Friedrich Merz is of his ilk.
This is how West Germany chose copper, when even the by then almost bankrupt (and ruled by even more senile backwards looking geezers) GDR was already starting to lay down fiber optic.
I think the spread of cable television also played a big role in this. It seems that the public broadcasters were too left-wing for Kohl. It was hoped that the private channels would provide more sympathetic coverage or at least a better distraction.
This is how West Germany chose copper, when even the by then almost bankrupt (and ruled by even more senile backwards looking geezers) GDR was already starting to lay down fiber optic.
In fairness, fiber optics were cheaper and easier to lay and worked better. So of course the socialists would adopt it first. They just wouldn’t monetize it properly such that they had the incentive to keep expanding it at an accelerated pace, until everyone in the country was paying $100/mo for $2/mo worth of internet.
For a real expansionist system, you either need people who are as greedy as they are ruthless (capitalism) or as ideological as they are hyper-competitive (dengism).
because the old Kanzler Kohl, decades ago, chose copper instead of fiber optic. I believe his family member was in the copper business…
It wasn’t a family member of his, but a family member of his post minister, a Mr Schwarz-Schilling, who was in the copper cable business. Kohl and his entire government are synonymous with incredible levels of corruption and nepotism. Kohl made corruption a kind of national sport for German politicians. Our upcoming Chancellor, Friedrich Merz is of his ilk.
This is how West Germany chose copper, when even the by then almost bankrupt (and ruled by even more senile backwards looking geezers) GDR was already starting to lay down fiber optic.
I think the spread of cable television also played a big role in this. It seems that the public broadcasters were too left-wing for Kohl. It was hoped that the private channels would provide more sympathetic coverage or at least a better distraction.
In fairness, fiber optics were cheaper and easier to lay and worked better. So of course the socialists would adopt it first. They just wouldn’t monetize it properly such that they had the incentive to keep expanding it at an accelerated pace, until everyone in the country was paying $100/mo for $2/mo worth of internet.
For a real expansionist system, you either need people who are as greedy as they are ruthless (capitalism) or as ideological as they are hyper-competitive (dengism).