BarcelonaOrBust

I no longer live in Spain, but have been asked by a friend, who has a property in Valencia, to research this.

He currently has 2 separate contracts with both a UK and Spanish ISP for broadband. His initial question was "Is there a way to use my UK broadband with my iPhone/Pad while in Spain"

The answer to this question would be no (as far as I am aware) but thought I would ask on here what people have found to be the most convenient/economical method(s) to get broadband when moving between the countries.

I am not aware of any providers that offer international contracts, though O2 is owned by Telefonica.

One thought, though I expect it would be prohibitively expensive would be to use data roaming, and use a device as a hotspot for other devices. Also, while fine for browsing and email, i don't expect it would be suitable for online video.

Any thoughts and/or suggestions appreciated.

Matt

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

amideislas

The short answer is NO. But you can use your UK mobile in Spain and pay outrageous roaming fees and vice-versa.

So much for the "common market". No wonder UKIP is gaining popularity (as well as similar sentiments in other EU countries).

Domino

Orange in Spain are currently heavily advertising their service for mobiles where you only pay for the service whilst in Spain.

I don't know if this is covering their internet service.

hth

EMR

I have a contract with vodaphone UK where as part of the package there is a daily one off charge when used abroad, with all calls, etc made during that day as part of my UK agreement.
Its early days so I will have to see if it is a real saving.

BarcelonaOrBust

Thanks for that Rosemary I'll take a look at the Free beer thread.

Matt

Domino

Vodaphone has a roaming service but there is a charge for incoming and outgoing calls on it.
I still sometimes get calls from uk contacts which cost me 75p to pick up + the normal rate (Paygo) so usually call them back on Skype or my other internet telephone provider.

Although have received texts and fone calls from a couple of companies offering me PPI claim assistance

BarcelonaOrBust

Just been looking at providers and Orange offer 500MB data for only £150/month. Though, strangely, they offer £30MB for £3/day, apparently equivalent to 900MB for £90/month. Must be a catch.

I suppose the thing to do is find out which provider he is with in UK and see what kind of deals they offer, and if there is anything better from someone else. 30MB may be enough for a bit of email and internet.

amideislas

Vodafone (spain) offers 500mb data, 20 min voice and 30 sms for 8€ per month payg.

And you don't have to pay if you don't use it this month.

Ask them about smart 8, smart16, smart20...

Sausages

Yes it's very expensive roaming. The best you can do is to add a booster.

You have to be careful that the names you know and love ie Orange, Vodafone etc are not the same companies when in Spain, or rather, they are not affiliated to the UK versions.

There is a "BT" broadband in Spain too, but again, this bears no resemblance to BT in the UK. It's run by a 3rd party and from what other posters say, it's a bit of a con in terms of the service is terrible and the price isn't that cheap.

BarcelonaOrBust

Thanks to all for your responses, it's with the man in question now, so can't promise a quick response.