13 American habits I lost when I moved to Romania

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http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/13-amer...d-romania/

9. Tolerance for slow and expensive internet connections

Romania has the fastest internet in the EU. I pay 12 USD a month for mine. ‘Nuff said.


Personal comment: I am not sure that it is the fastest in the EU, that may be a stretch, but it is pretty damn fast, especially for the low prices they pay. in 2009 and 2012 when I was there, if I remember correctly, I tested 50 to 100 Mbps and the prices are indeed low, probably there are plans even lower than the $12 mentioned in this article.

EDIT: Sorry about the ALL CAPS original Subject, I copies and posted from that article...

[max]

Who is your ISP over there?....

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They have several choices, competition is good.

[hal]

An interesting read - thanks for posting it.

[max]

space-time wrote:
They have several choices, competition is good.

I expect that, but I was wondering on the nature of the telecoms operating there, I have seen different models in different Eastern European countries and there is a tremendous breath in experience. ....

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After we shot Ceausescu, a variety of cable companies appeared, and they ran cable networks in large cities, and then smaller towns, and now even villages. There was a massive wave of consolidation, but there are still 2-3 major companies competing in the same cities. And even in villages where there is only one company, they have the same prices as in the larger cities they compete in, i.e. they don't abuse the monopoly in those places where they are the only provider.

Regarding the internet, most of these are the cable companies mentioned above, but from what I have seen at my parents and my inlays, the modem is not in the residence... they seem to have some sort of box inside the buildings and from there they distribute coax cable for TVs and Ethernet cable for internet. In fact my inlays have this ethernet cable come into a little box (this one is inside their apartment) form there they have ethernet and telephone jacks.

Things may have changed since I was there three years ago.

[Speedy]

Are you implying that Romanian politicians aren't bought and paid for by the cablecos like their American counterparts are?

[blooz]

Good read.
Number three hit home. i've always been sorry my folks pretty much stopped speaking Slovak at home when i was seven or eight. I would have liked to know more Slovak than just the swear words.