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easy—by French standards—to i re them. Proponents of the
idea said that the ability to easily i re young workers would
make companies less afraid to take chances on young people.
To the student unions, this was a nearly sacrilegious
declaration of the government's indifference to students
—get them for cheap once they graduate and then throw
them away. The protests were long-lasting and ranged from
carnivalesque to downright brutal. Foreign students studying
in France should be aware that classes may be interrupted
at a moment's notice for demonstrations, with both student
and teachers involved. They are very annoying, but it may be
helpful to remember that the very generous and accessible
French university system might not exist at all without this
level of vigilance and activism.
PRIVATE TELEPHONE & DATA SERVICES
The French telephone system, like most in the i rst world, has
been complicated by so many ways of transmitting voice and
data. Sometimes I think the French themselves are confused
by it all. Don't be surprised to go to a telephone services
shop and get varying answers to your questions, even if your
French is good. Another chance for you to relax and enjoy
the endless complexity of living here.
There are four companies providing full telephony service:
France Telecom, SFR, Bouygues and Free. They compete
constantly for business by offering package deals for all your
needs: landline, cell, internet and television. Your television will
pick up about 20 broadcast stations in high dei nition anyway,
so you don't need to buy their “cable” option, but it might
be cheaper, as part of a package, depending on your needs.
To simplify the problem, Ive broken this down into two
situations. Situation A, you are coming to France for less than
6 months. You just need local cell phone service and internet
access. Situation B, you are going to be here more than 6
months. You need full services, including landline, cable TV,
high speed interent access, etc.
Situation A—Coming to France for less than 6 months
Most telephone services in France demand a year's contract.
 
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