One of the reasons that the Internet quickly took off in the US was the
existence of toll/charge-free local phone calling unlike in most/all of Europe
in the late 80s early 90s. That and the concept of the '800' number whichcould
be called from anywhere in the US with no charge. This made constant internet
connectivity easily affordable and standard for most locations. Local telephone
connections were so cheap that it wasn't hard to afford a complete second
telecom line to be used exclusively for a dial-up modem connection to the'net.
I recall in Europe before the wide-spread divestiture of the national telecoms
that any calling, local or long-distance had a per-minute charge that was
frustrating and stressful. When I was based in Iceland, calls to the US cost
upwards of U$D 6.50 *per minute*! One had to plan calls accordingly. 'Free' fax
access of any kind was coveted!
These two very different initial conditions made for divergent practices early
on. Amurikans had the luxury of constant connectivity, the Euro crowd were on an
expensive meter.
I don't remember the year that the first free local telecom connections started
up in Europe -- I think Berlin was the initial city in Germany in perhaps
1996-7? -- where local calling came free with the 'regular' monthly service fee.
That was a revolution! I suppose there are others here who could comment in more
detail on that wave. (Udo Noll, are you here on nettime? I remember the first
time we met in Köln in 1996 at your company Digital Online Media, a local
internet access company -- I was so thankful for a 'normal' connection inyour
offices there, what I was used to in the US, at least.) Back then, I was based
in the Nordic countries mostly, although I did a lot of guest teaching in
central Europe at the time, along with random time in the US.
When doing a month-long residency at the Muthesium Kunst Hochschule in Kiel, in
1996- or 7, running a workshop 'networking and creativity' or such, the building
with the computer lab did *not* have an internet connection -- so when inquiries
were made of Deutsche Telekom to activate the connection (almost literally
flicking a switch in the main building, the cabling was already installedfrom
the main building to the lab building). DT wanted something like 15K Dmarks for
the 'service' -- such was their monopoly position!
cheers,
John
On 01/Aug/17 18:03, Yvette Johnson wrote:
Check e-mail
--
++
Dr. John Hopkins, BSc, MFA, PhD
hanging on to the Laramide Orogeny
twitter: @neoscenes
http://tech-no-mad.net/blog/
++
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