Mobile broadband recommendation anyone?
 

Hi again (!)

Can anyone recommend a decent mobile broadband provider? I'll be based (hopefully) in Madrid though over the course of a year, may have to move around to other cities. I'll only have a laptop, will be renting rooms in various places so definitely won't be having a fixed landline anywhere.

I'm hoping to sign up for mobile broadband on the afternoon I arrive in Spain (next Friday!) and have it up and running as quickly as possible. From what I've been told I should be able to go into one of the mobile shops near where I'm staying (there's a Vodafone, Orange and something else!), get the dongle, pay the fee (I have an internal modem on the laptop so definitely don't need a modem) and hopefully it will be running within about 4 hours.

Any experience anyone? Is it that simple? I won't have a Spanish bank account at that point so I won't be able to set up any regular payments. Can I literally just walk in, buy a dongle for a month's service and walk out again or am I being a bit naive?!!!

Thanks!

PS - While I'm here - I also need to get a Spanish Pay as You Go SIM for my mobile. Again, any recommendations?

Re: Mobile broadband recommendation anyone?
 

Hi emsr2d2,

Yes I use a Moviestar (Telefonica) 3.5G dongle; BUT and it is a BIG BUT, if you do not pay direct from your bank, then you have to buy in advance AND IT IS EXPENSIVE.
Can you not set up a bank account? Halifax, Lloyds, Barclays all have branches in Spain. You will save no end of money paying through a Spanish bank.
Mine in theory cost 39€ +IVA (44.50 ish), but I got some sort of deal, and they have never charged me over 20€ yet (another 14 months to run on the contract). I use about a Gb every month of my 3Gb limit

Davexf

Re: Mobile broadband recommendation anyone?
 

I will be opening a Spanish bank account but not for a week or so after I arrive as I need to sort of do it in conjunction with my job! However, I am going to need the internet pretty much the minute I arrive as I need to do some research and preparation for my job/training course which begins 2 days after arrival. I don't want to have to find WiFi or go to internet cafes for the whole weekend. I'd be quite happy to pay in advance for the first month, and then set up regular payments from my Spanish bank account once I've got one!