Abstract

After German unification, the serious infrastructural differences between the two halves of the country were the greatest obstacle to a rapid alignment of living conditions and economic structures between East and West. This also applied to telecommunications. The telecommunications infrastructure in East Germany was and is being expanded with a large-scale investment programme. The study deals with the spatial and economic effects of telecommunications in the new federal states using the example of selected economic sectors in four case study regions. Its results are based on literature analyses, expert discussions, oral and written surveys of the responsible telecommunication services, a written survey of 459 enterprises as well as in-depth interviews in 42 selected enterprises.

Authors