Large systems: EWS: Germany's answer to ESS: Stored-program control is at the heart of the Deutsche Bundespost's electronic telephone switching system

In the West German Federal Republic, as in most European countries, the telephone system is the responsibility of the same Government agency that operates the postal service — in West Germany, the Deutsche Bundespost. With 18 million subscriber stations in the Federal Republic, only the U.S., Japan, and Great Britain have more telephones. However, there are only 29 telephones per 100 inhabitants, which places the Federal Republic down at number 14 on the percapita world list.