Internet users in Germany can now have a DSL line for as little as €3.99 per month. Germany's biggest ISP, T-Online, has launched its no-frills DSL brand Congster in a fight back against low-cost rivals, Reuters reports.

But there is a catch: Congster is a stripped-down Internet access service, without an email address or SMTP access. Tech-savvy subscribers should run their own mail server, or stick to webmail services such as Hotmail. Additional services such as premium content and anti-virus software are also not available.

More importantly, there is a monthly usage limit: for €3.99 per month you can get 2000 MB, or about 700 Mp3s. Heavy downloaders can buy 8000 MB for € 12.99 per month. If you exceed the limit you pay 1.39c per megabyte. And the prices do not include the DSL connection as such. This will still cost you € 16.99 a month for 1 mbit/s.

T-Online's biggest competitor is Freenet, which currently charges €5.90 for 2000 MB. ®

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