The commercial online services represented in the Federal Republic offer numerous dial-in options that afford their subscribers access at local rates. At the beginning of 1997, about 2.4 million people in Germany were thus “online”. The online services with the most subscribers in Germany are presently T-Online (1.5 million subscribers), CompuServe (300,000), American Online (300,000), Europa Online (50,000) and Microsoft Network (30,000). These services provide local, regional, national and international information, databases, discussion forums, electronic banking and e-mail. In addition, there are about 250,000 households which can directly access the Internet via Internet service providers.

The commercial online services also offer their subscribers access to the Internet and its services. Many firms and institutions use the Internet and especially the World Wide Web in order to introduce themselves, offer information, services and opportunities for interaction, sell goods or handle service transactions (banks, insurance companies). Every day new offerings are incorporated into the Internet.