Arcor is the second-biggest fixed phone line provider in Germany. It is owned solely by Vodafone since May 2008, when Deutsche Bahn (18.17%) and Deutsche Bank (8.18%) sold their shares to Vodafone. Its headquarters are in Eschborn near Frankfurt. Arcor is one of the few telecommunication companies in Germany who operate an ISDN network independent from the incumbent Deutsche Telekom.

Arcor has 2.1 million ADSL customers and 1.1 million ISDN customers. Arcor was the first German telecommunications provider offering a phone flatrate for the ISDN line.

History

Arcor was the result of a joint venture by Mannesmann, now belonging to Vodafone and Deutsche Bank, a multinational bank from Germany. After the participation of the telecommunications company of the Deutsche Bahn, called DBKom, the company with its official name Mannesmann Arcor AG & Co. KG was formed in 1996. After the buyout of Mannesmann by Vodafone the company was renamed as Arcor AG & Co. KG.

Since April 2005 Arcor also offers IP telephony.

On May 19, 2008, British-based Vodafone bought out the minority partners in its Arcor fixed-line telecommunications operations in Germany to Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Bank and secured full control.

Censorship controversy

In September 2007 various computer-magazines reported that Arcor is blocking their ISDN/DSL subscribers from accessing a small number of pornography sites (for example YouPorn) on the routing level. According to Heise.de this is due to a request received by the company by a competing pornography services that is claiming the respective sites have no or inadequate age verification measures according to German laws.

Notes

References

External links

• Company's Website