Alcazar

Hi - my husband and I are moving to Portugal (Algarve) at the end of this month (who buys a house abroad during a pandemic.....oh that would be us!!) and would like some recommendations on best internet providers in the Silves - Algoz region in the Algarve. Any suggestions will be very welcome as it seems as though most contracts have a minimum of 24 months so would be good to go with a reliable provider thanks

wellinever

buy a day sim from Nos check speed, and again get the same from MEO and Vodafone.....all shops in Algarve shopping in Guia,.but be prepared to queue.
presume your phone is unlocked? If using router same applies.
In the country it very much depends on masts, try them all

barlaventoexpert

I worked for many years in he Western Central Algarve as an IT tech.

The first thing you need to do is decide what services you want.

1) Do you want a package including a fixed line phone, TV channels, internet package & mobile or just internet?

If the former and if you are rural, you may be restricted to one of the providers who may or may not be able to provide fibre-optic or adsl services. Most likely it will be MEO in the area you are talking about.

2) If you are only talking about Internet access, then you really need to check the strength of your indoor 4G reception from the 3 main providers MEO, NOS, Vodafone. If you get a 4 (or at least 3) bar reception within the house, you can probably consider one of the mobile internet hotspot packages from NOS.pt or Vodafone.pt

Once 5G is launched & fully deployed over the next few years, it is likely that the quality of offering by all three main providers will improve.

Finally,the Algoz / Silves area is hilly in places. MAKE absolutely sure that you have at least 4G mobile reception in the house before talking to any of the providers. From experience, I know that there are lots of properties in the Algarve where houses in valleys have no mobile coverage AND to far from fixed-line infrastructure to get phone/internet services.

In these areas, Satellite Internet is the only viable solution, at present.

liveaboard

receiver/ repeater on a mast or up the hill wouldn't work?

Just curious because the question arises from time to time.

wellinever

I dont know if a mobile router or the smart phone itself gets a better signal.
From my own experience over many many years, both in Portugal and UK, different phones and even different models, signal strength can vary from acceptable in an area to no signal at all.
I do not know if a standalone 4G mobile router (cheap from MEO /NOS etc) gets a better signal than the phones themselves
All phone tests concern themselves with camera/screen/processing rather than the signal strength.
I guess there are many mobile aerials used on phones and some will be good and some not so good.
Maybe someone has info on which os better in general, phone or Router.
There are signal improvers, but they are really expensive.
Talking of hills and valleys, in my own case I live on a hill above a town. In the town I can get dl speeds of 80+mb and uploads of 30+, both on MEO and NOS, But when I move uo to my gaff both drop slowly until at my house (3kms from town) until its down to maybe around 10MB down, and thats OK acceptable most of the time, but here is the problem UPLOAD...that is normally less than 1mb, and of course this is a problem when using Zoom or Skype....
MEO tell me that they have looked at my post code and they say there is a 4G signal and so they will not be doing anything, despite there being over 60 houses on the urbanisation, all of wjom have the same problem, and no cable possible...but as usual the Portuguese do not know how to complain or won`t, just moan about it.

barlaventoexpert

wellInever,

"..but as usual the Portuguese do not know how to complain or won`t, just moan about it."

This is unfair!

I refer you to

https://www.dinheirovivo.pt/empresas...-13040600.html

and

https://portaldaqueixa.com/brands/meo

Loads of Portuguese are registering complaints.

Have you also talked to your Junta da Freguesia or Câmara about the lack of fixed cables services. If there are 60 houses on the urbanisation it should be in there interest to bring pressure to bear.

wellinever

LOL........I wouldnt say that 5K complaints in a year in Portugal, population 10 million was endorsement of what you say.
I can see there may have been an increase. (refuted by MEO)
As far as talking to the junta, well if neither they nor the GNR are interested in the dogs that bark all day and night, being allowed out to run around the urbanisation, I doubt they will be interested in mobile phones.
They use excuses like, well no one else has complained. No they wont cause 70 % of them have dogs couped up all day and night in their sheds.
Of course the real problem is that all of the phone companies know that none of them gives a good signal, so its not as if you can change to a better one..but using your idea about numbers, for sure if any of them did decide to give a proper service here then everyone would move to them, but clearly 60 households doesnt appeal to them to spend money.
Speedtest just done (after internet went off for 2 minutes ) now 12mb down/1.6up, about par for the course...

barlaventoexpert

Typical EXPAT Response!

Alcazar

Thanks everyone for the valuable advice, seems we may be able to get connected to fibre optic which was recently installed in the area according to a friend in Alcantarilha. He advised that we will have to take out a contract with MEO as they are the only provider offering this service. If we ever get there......more bad news today about the state of calamity being extended. We have EU citizenship so we’re confident that we have the correct paperwork to enter Portugal, just having a hard time getting there!!

barlaventoexpert

I'm surprised! Currently in Lisbon and there appear to be a substantial number of foreigners (mainly EU nationals & visitors) wandering around, They can't all be here "on business".

Don't let the "State of Calamity" fool you. It sounds bad BUT it's one level down from a State of Emergency,

As regards MEO in the Alcantarilha area, that ties in with what I thought about the area.

santaanita

EXPAT How very dare you ,immigrant please

barlaventoexpert