INVESTMENT IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN GERMANY FALLS IN 1999.

The volume of investment in telecommunications services in Germany will fall by about 11% to 13.6 billion Deutschemarks (Euro 6.95 billion) in 1999 compared with 1998, the year of full market liberalisation, the Telecommunications Regulator predicted on July 8. Private operators competing with the former monopoly Deutsche Telekom, will nevertheless invest 12% more in the fixed network than in 1998, pumping in DM3.7 billion. The Regulator expects cumulative turnover on the telecoms market to remain stable at DM106 billion (Euro 54.20 billion) in 1999.The Regulator reports that the opening of the market to competition had a beneficial impact on employment: staff reductions at the semi-public operator Deutsche Telekom should be entirely offset by new posts...