4G Internet
 

Does anyone have any experience with 4G internet in Spain?

A friend of mine on the CostaBlanca was persuaded by his existing Wimax (dish) provider to change to 4G. The company is Eurona. They sent him a decent looking 4G router with wifi and he is getting average speeds of 15 Mbs for only 20 euros a month.

What he's got seems far better than what is currently available in the UK in terms of equipment and cost. I'm even wondering if it's directly comparable with the UK because the router sim card socket is empty, therefore it may be pre-configured in some way? On a speed test it seems to indicate that uses the Huawei network which also makes the router.

Any thoughts welcome because I'd like to use the same thing in the UK if poss.

Re: 4G Internet
 

Can't speak for everywhere, but 4G is widespread here now. Even the Wimax providers are moving to it. I am currently using (and delighted with) wimax, but I've just been notified by the provider that they will eventually be moving it all to 4G, and the price will be cut significantly.

Re: 4G Internet
 

The problem with 4G connections is that almost all providers have a usage cap whereas fibre systems offer even higher speeds with no cap.

Whether that is a problem or not will depend on your type of usage - lots of video streaming and you could hit the cap.

There are WiMax systems that can offer high speeds without 4G with no limitations and these are now becoming more widespread.

Re: 4G Internet
 

True, my WIMAX has absolutely no usage limits. No mention of whether this would change as it moves to 4G, but my experience with this provider has been that they have so far been very fair and transparent about everything. Unlike my former experiences with "phone companies", whose assertions have always been questionable, if not outright fallacies..

Re: 4G Internet
 

Interesting. The reason I'm looking into this is that I'd like to upgrade my 3G internet in the UK to 4G.

The type of 4G I describe in Spain (supplied by a Wimax provider) seems to be unique and very good. I'm not even sure it that runs on the conventional 4G mobile network. The router is pre-configured (the optional Sim card slot is empty). Performance is excellent over local WiFi.

Looking at the mobile broadband offerings in the UK, I can't see anything comparable or as good. Maybe there's too much a stake because of the potential loss of line rental revenue.

I have seen references to a joint venture between Huawei and Vodafone developing a version of 4G called LTE. Indeed the router in question has LTE stamped on it.

Re: 4G Internet
 

I have 4G supplied by Eurona, no usage cap and speed varies between 12 and 28mb download. However there are others not far from me for whom it does not work so it depends on your location. When I started they were offering a 5 day trial for free and that's what I did, later signing up proper but there is no long term contract so if something better comes along !

Re: 4G Internet
 

We only have 2 options on our urb. in Torrevieja, an abysmal 3.5mb from Telefonica or a supposedly 8mb WiMAX.
The trouble is we get our TV through IPTV and the service is excellent, however even though we only need 3.5mb for normal and 5.5mb for high density our WiMAX signal is very erratic and quite often the TV stutters or even goes off for a while, usually at acritical point in a sporting program.
I have sourced a company in CDS that will supply a 4G router for 200€ and 4G sim with unlimited download for 60€ per month on the Orange network.
I am considering this option but what I cannot understand is why it is not an option at my local Orange shop. They will only offer me a router and sim with a monthly cap of about 35mb which is no use for my IPTV.
The problem will be solved when, if ever, we get fibre optics installed on the urb.
Any thoughts please before I shell out for a new router.

Re: 4G Internet
 

Don't believe what these third party suppliers tell you. You will get a 35gb cap on Orange. Other companies were offering unlimited 4G routers but now they (Movistar and Vodafone) have changed the rules and they are capped. My comments are based on the experience of 4G users on other forums.

Re: 4G Internet
 

That's the system I'm talking about. It seems very good, and cheap!
Surprisingly there's nothing comparable in the UK where the 4G offerings seem a lot more limited.

Re: 4G Internet
 

Eurona where I am is fine all day but around 8pm often cuts off or at least goes really slow. Will be changing soon.

Re: 4G Internet
 

Eurona is one of the wost complained about on Facebook in the veja abja area.

Re: 4G Internet
 

HI, I know this thread is a little old now but as no one mentioned them, I thought I would. You can get a 4G system from Orange. Its limited to 35gb a month at top speed which we clocked at 40mb/s but generally I think it hovered around the 30. After you hit you limit you get reduced to 128kb/s for the rest of the month.

It worked for us as we spent a few months in different places at a time but staying within the limit was a pain. We just cancelled it as we are now settled in the one place so can get fiber at last

If you (or the person you use to sign up as was our case,) are already with Orange you get a discount. We paid 21.95 after the discount or 30bg but I think its 26 or 27 euro a month now

Re: 4G Internet
 

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary


__________________

Re: 4G Internet
 

Just a follow up on 4G - spanish version!

The system that my friends got in Rojales (Nr Torrevieja) is excellent. As far as I know there is nothing comparable in the UK.

It's 4G but it does not have a Sim card so its not on a mobile phone network. The supplied 4G router provides a strong wifi signal.

He gets a typical speed of 15 to 20Mbs for 22 Euros a month unlimited.

From other comments on here it seems that only certain areas have a good signal, but for a new technology it's early days.

Re: 4G Internet
 

Eurona are a joke

Re: 4G Internet
 

That's very slow for 4G. I think there is a SIM card in there somewhere and it will be on a mobile network.

Re: 4G Internet
 

Orange 4G offer the Huawei LTE router for their system.

Re: 4G Internet
 

Interesting. I'll check out Orange in the UK.

As for the speed. I think that close to 20 Mbs unlimited is pretty good for 22 Euros a month. With no landline rental, I'd jump at that if it was offered in the UK. Better than the TalkTalk offering I've just signed up for!

Does the 4G router have a Sim card? From what I've seen it doesn't. It has an optional Sim card slot which is empty. There is no indication or suggestion that it is on a conventional mobile network. Maybe 4G technology goes beyond mobile phones.

Re: 4G Internet
 

AFAIK Eurona are using a particular bandwidth to send pseudo 4G signals over Wimax and so it is not true 4G. The quality of the signal you receive will depend on where you live in relation to the Wimax mast.

I am in San Luis which is on the other side of lake La Mata from La Mata and when I had my free 5 day trial I was getting about 9Mb speed. Since then ie. as soon as I signed up I have been getting less than 3.:(
I presume the lowering of the signal strength is due to the increased use by part time holiday home owners getting switched on for the summer.:thumbdown:

I am going to cancel as it has not solved my problem of a steady 6Mb to run my IPTV.

The long term solution would be fibre optics but I don't think we will be getting it any time soon

Re: 4G Internet
 

If they were using a Wimax system they would need to install a small antenna and they say nothing of that on their site. They give you a router and that's it.

I have a very fast Wimax system and the antenna is a small parabolic dish of about 50cm.

Re: 4G Internet
 

Talk about smoke and mirrors!!

He was on Eurona Wimax but he wanted a faster speed so they converted him to this 4G system. The 4G router is now his sole means of communication, his roof antenna is now redundant. So based on your theory it seems that some Eurona masts are now broadcasting 4G to local routers?? BTW his house is quite close to the Wimax masts at the top of Quesada.

Interesting.

Re: 4G Internet
 

Quick question.

I have a Three data sim that I run through a 3g mifi router when in Spain.

Looking at Three's site it looks as though 4G is standard for them. Before I go and buy a Mifi router with 4G capability is there much difference in speed in real terms?

Re: 4G Internet
 

Are you sure that your MiFi router can't handle 4G? Mine does. 4G can be up to 10x faster than 3G - the problem is that as it is still being rolled out in most places then providers are usually looking at long rental contracts which also include 'fair use' conditions which means that they will be throttled at peak usage times. I cannot find an PAYG options yet. But it is the future for mobile comms until 5G comes along.

Re: 4G Internet
 

Yes it can only handle 3g. With Three I can use at no extra cost when in Spain as long as not more than 30 days consecutively.
I bought 12G for £30 that is valid for up to a year although I used up the 12G in three trips tallying to around 24 days. It works well but can be slow.

Looks as though I shall be buying a 4G router.

Cheers

Re: 4G Internet
 

Yes, I would say there is a huge difference in speed. When in the UK, my Three sim card provides true 4G. I can even watch HD youtube videos.
When in Spain though, it drops down to 3G or H+. For normal use it still is fine, but if you want to use Spotify, for example, there might be some lagging.