mfesharne

I've no idea when they did it but I've just noticed that MEO now offer internet & phone packages without TV which are significantly cheaper than their 'with TV' packages.

For example the 100 MB Fiber package is unlimited fibre optic up to 100 Mbps and landline phone for €29.99 per month & a 24 month contract.

They now also offer unlimited fibre optic & landline with 30 Mbps & no contract (so presumably you can cancel it when you go away from PT for holidays etc for €29.99 per month. (MEO Lite)

macliam

I'll have to look into that, but the disadvantage is that it's still MEO and I'll certainly run a mile from anoth 2-year contract with them!

My neighbours are using Vodafone 3G, which is significantly cheaper than my MEO ADSL and useless landline deal - and gives them better speeds!

mfesharne

MEO are infamous for the dreadful way they treat their customers but I have to say that all changed when we got fibre about 3 years ago....... since then, it's like dealing with a different company....... they even phone me up to tell me when they're not happy with the speed we're getting so can an engineer call if necessary!

macliam

Unfortunately fibre seems a dream....... and better we don't talk about linespeed. If it wasn't for the 2-year contract I'd be going 3G now......

Placebo

If you can forgive me rudely butting in, looking into moving to Lisbon or Porto for PhD studies, wanted to ask off the bat if FUP or any kind of data limits are standard in Portugal for the fast connections? I work from home so would be looking for minimum 100Mbit (ideally the 200Mbit/1Gbit I've seen is possible in certain places) but struggling to learn if there's any kind of data limit/FUP etc. etc.

Thanks in advance

Red Eric

There isn't a data limit on a MEO landline connection if you sign up for electronic billing and direct debit.

As I understand it, where services are offered via 3 or 4G connections, although they may be described as unlimited, in practice they are not (or haven't been in the past).

Placebo

Thanks Eric, I would expect a mobile connection to have a limit, any apartment we'd move to would need to have a fiber connection so that's the type of connection I'm primarily interested in

Red Eric

It's always been possible - just not the easiest thing to find because they want to persuade you to buy the full monty.

I've had phone & internet only on ADSL with them for 11 years now. Fibre optic is now available in our area and obviously I'd like to move over to that. I just know that in order to do it, I'm going to have to fight a very hard battle and one I've most likely absolutely no chance of winning as an existing customer because I don't want the TV package, so there's nothing in it for MEO .

mfesharne

They wouldn't give me a fibre optic deal without TV 2 1/2 years ago but when I saw the new (to me) non TV deals the other day I called them & told them I wanted to change....... first they offered me a discount if I kept the TV, then they offered free extra channels then both but I stuck to my guns & said I only wanted unlimited fibre optic & landline phone with nothing else & they finally agreed........ which drops my monthly bill from about €60 to €30.

Not a hell of a lot of difference but as I haven't watched MEO TV for well over a year I don't see any point in paying for it.

snaphappy

Yes, you're right. I got a Vodafone 4G contract 2 months ago. The guy in the shop told me that it's unlimited as long as I didn't breach 100gb a month.

So there was a first alarm bell that it wasn't unlimited.

I took the contract anyway. Was chuffed that I was getting 74mb download and 32mb upload for just €25 a month.

One week later the service came to a halt and the connection dropped to 32kb download and unrecordable upload.

I contacted Vodafone who told me that because I had used more the 15gb their fair usage policy had kicked in and made the connection completely unusable.

I cancelled the contract immediately.

macliam

TIP: When posing a question on an open forum, it's best not to use acronyms that not everyone will know....

From my experience:

FUP (Fair Usage Policy) - I think you will struggle to find any ISP (in Portugal or elsewhere) that does not sanction unfair usage - since this normally means either full business usage or excessive streaming and may be to the detriment of other users across the same network hardware.

Data Limits - likewise, many ISPs will impose limits, either overt or tacit. Commonly bandwidth will be constrained beyond a given limit, so that access is not denied, but usability is impacted.

PS - salesmen lie, so check three times and be prepared to cancel quickly.

Anyone else?

snaphappy

I think any provider anywhere will have a fair usage policy. How or whether they implement it is another story.

For information, I have unlimited adsl with MEO and although slow (12 down/1 up, I'm quite remote) I'm a heavy user. This month alone I'm probably in excess of 400gb of data and no service degradation.

macliam

12 down - slow?!!! Try 1.9mbps and paying 40 euros a month for it!

ADSL is likely to have a far higher threshold than mobile date - but 400gb probably wouldn't trigger it. There's heavy and HEAVY.

snaphappy

Add to that, the lack of contention in the area. I think a lot of the houses are not connected.

The mobile operators have to enforce a Fair Usage Policy due to the high usage on the Mobile network and not enough Cell Towers to provide the bandwidth required. It just annoyed me that they lied about it.

Having worked in the Telecoms Industry for more years than fingers and thumbs I have, I actually think Portugal is fairly advanced with their mobile footprint.

Certainly better than the useless UK mobile network.

I can certainly see a future where the connectivity will be Mobile/WiFi rather than copper or fibre on the (distant) horizon.

As for 1.9........ouch, to be honest, it's not the downstream speed I'm bothered about, but as I upload large photos and very large videos, it's the upstream that kills me.

I get frustrated with what I've got, even more so knowing I've got 4G coverage but can't use it.

macliam

34 years in PO Telecoms/BT, so I know where you're coming from. Portugal was rolling out fibre whilst we were still testing it, but then they only use off-the-shelf stuff and don't give a tuppenny if it fails and you're left hanging. The local engineer didn't even know about bell wire and WiFi interference!

My local switch is only 6mbps, so even if I was the only one connected I couldn't match your upload! Of course, MEO lie through their teeth and know they're protected by their 2-year conttract - but their engineers usually tell the truth......

People think that bandwidth/linespeed is the sole measure of BB quality, like they think the number of pixels on a camera sensor defines image quality, but lack of contention is what makes my BB usable - I can actually stream movies etc.(normally....) and get less issues than on my rural BB in the UK...... but I dream of getting just the linespeed I'm paying for!!