Full IDD is available. Country code: 49. National and international calls can be made from coin- or card-operated telephone booths. Calls can be made from post offices. Cheap rate applies Mon-Fri 1800-0800 and all day Saturday and Sunday. Discount phonecards from private companies can be bought from shops and kiosks.

Roaming agreements exist with many international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good. It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile telephone while driving.

Internet is readily available; there are many Internet cafes all over the country. Large Internet access centres exist in most main cities. Hotels also provide facilities.

Germany's competitive TV market is the largest in Europe. Each of the country's 16 regions regulates its own private and public broadcasting, and operates public TV and radio services. Around 90 per cent of German households have cable or satellite TV. Germany is home to some of the world's largest media conglomerates, such as Bertelsmann. While the press and broadcasters are free and independent, the display of swastikas and statements endorsing Nazism are illegal.
Press: The most influential dailies include the Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The most widely read of the weekly publications are Der Spiegel and Die Zeit. Some new or revamped newspapers, such as Berliner Kurier, have emerged out of eastern Germany and are competing well with western German papers. Most major English newspapers and international magazines are also available in Germany.
TV: Premiere is a pay-TV operator. ARD is the organisation of regional public broadcasters and operates Das Erste, the main public TV channel. Other commercial broadcasters include N24 (rolling news), RTL (entertainment channels) and ZDF (operates the second public national TV channel). Deutsche Welle TV is the international TV service, and operates in English and Spanish, as well as German.
Radio: Deutsche Welle TV broadcasts radio in many languages. Deutschlandradio operates national public radio stations, Deutschlandfunk and Deutschlandradio Kultur (broadcasting news/current affairs and cultural programmes). ARD is an umbrella organisation of many public radio services, including regional stations.

Stamps are available from hotels, slot machines and post offices. A five-figure postal code is used on all internal addresses. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1800, Sat 0900-1200. Smaller branches may close for lunch.