After seeing some advertising in London some months ago that really surprised me (limited download per months, high prices) with regards to french prices and offers, I wanted to check if it still the case and where is the best living place for Internet addicts (like me).

Let's summarize the french situation: all providers have ADSL2 (look for ADSL Standards on wikipedia) offers that you can really use when you are sufficiently near the DSLAM. Outside France Telecom (now selling under the brand Orange), all offers are around 30€, including access to television, unlimited phone and unlimited internet. Most of the time, you will have to pay more only if you want access to Canal Sat or TPS, that are providing more Television channels. Orange (because of the regulation) provides the same offer for around 34€.

I tried to found a comparable offer in the UK, and I found only Orange (Unlimited Internet for around 20 pounds (35€) and only at a 8Mb/s bandwidth (no adsl2 possible). Tiscali is asking you 22 pounds for the same service. And the similar offer from BT is 27 pounds with download limitation.

You will find more information on this ADSL Guide. With two providers having ADSL2 offers BeThere and UkOnline (I don't want to discuss the price).

As for Germany, my german language skills being not that good, I had some difficulties to find something interesting. T-Com, the subsidiary of the historical phone company provides an offer at 45€. On the other hand, you have 1und1 providing an offer very similar to the french ones.

It seems that my first idea was right: I prefer to stay in France.