Italy Prepaid Data Sims - unsure about info on PrePaidGSM ADvice Pages

[a-mac]

I'm off to Sardinia shortly and have been researching prepaid mobile internet data sims that suit the southern part of the island.

It's great having all the telephone company offers for mobile internet prepaid data packages on a special page on this website, but the facts often don't include information such as.....

* When data bundles are prepaid, does the card itself ever expire and disallow any top ups?

* Are there any additional charges - for initial purchase, activation, deactivation, etc?

* Do they all require the purchase of a dongle?

* If you buy a short period of time or a data allowance.....do you need a new card the next time you go to Italy a year or more later..... or can you just top up the card you already have?

* Can the sims be used in both dongles and smartphones?

I note in some of the data offers, such as that from 3 (Tre) and that from Wind, that underneath the rates for volume-based or time-based data, it states the length of time it's valid for followed by this phrase...X number of days (recurring automatically)......

* What does that mean? Is it that a new charge is automatically made every week on the card you originally paid with (cos that's like a contract).....or is it that the data/time allowance is reloaded automatically only for as long as you keep paying a top up but that if you don't op up the card can no longer be used?

I want to find a data sim that I can use for one week only, light usage only, but keep for usage on a later trip. I need to be able either to buy it in advance from the UK or buy it in southern Sardinia when I get there.

3 and Wind seem to be the cheapest but even using my PC language translator, I can't make out exactly what the Ts and Cs are for each deal.

It looks to me as if Tre's 'SuperWeb' or 'SuperWeb Time' or Wind's 'Mega 10 Ore' would suit, but I don't want to tie myself to anything other than for the week I am there and I want the activation of the sim to be simple, and if appropriate, also the de-activation of it, so it doesn't expire.

If I bring my netbook, I will have an unlocked dongle with me that will work with any data sim......

* Is that allowed?

Alternatively, I might just bring an unlocked HTC Touch Pro 2 and put a data sim in that.....

* Will it work?

Can someone explain what should be obvious to me from these pages - like which Tre data card does what and for how long? PrePaidGSM: 3 ITA (Italy)

and also the prepaid data bundle info for Wind data on: PrePaidGSM: Wind (Italy)

If I can't get my head round this in time, I shall end up putting a UK 3 sim in my phone and getting £1.25 per MB roaming charges. I'd rather avoid that so if someone is or has been using these providers for short term pre-paid use, it would be good to hear your experience and to fill in the gaps in my understanding.

Thanks.

[Effendi]

Originally Posted by a-mac

* When data bundles are prepaid, does the card itself ever expire and disallow any top ups?
* Are there any additional charges - for initial purchase, activation, deactivation, etc?
* Do they all require the purchase of a dongle?
* If you buy a short period of time or a data allowance.....do you need a new card the next time you go to Italy a year or more later..... or can you just top up the card you already have?

* Can the sims be used in both dongles and smartphones?

1) it expires every 11 or 12 months, depending on the operator. It's written on the "validity" field on every operator's page.
2) Same as above, you didn't look the page carefully. Of course you have to pay something to buy a sim card, it usually is 10€ including 5€ of credit
3) Of course not.
4) If you come back later than 11/12 months and you didn't refill the card in the meantime your card will expire (see point 1).
5) Yes, of course

Originally Posted by a-mac

I note in some of the data offers, such as that from 3 (Tre) and that from Wind, that underneath the rates for volume-based or time-based data, it states the length of time it's valid for followed by this phrase...X number of days (recurring automatically)......

It means that if the bundle costs X euros and lasts 1 month and the offer is "recurring", after 30 days you will be automatically billed X euros again and you will have other XX MB/hours of data again for 1 month. Unless you have credit on your simcard, of course, since we are talking about prepaid. If you do not have credit you cannot surf.
IMPORTANT: if you don't want the offer to recur automatically, you MUST disable it before the end date of the bundle. Even if they are prepaid, most operators go "below zero" with your credit so if you refill they will take you the money.

Originally Posted by a-mac

I want to find a data sim that I can use for one week only, light usage only, but keep for usage on a later trip. I need to be able either to buy it in advance from the UK or buy it in southern Sardinia when I get there.

I think the "Naviga3 Week" offer by 3 is your perfect solution. Just disable it at the end of the week. Must important thing: first check if you have coverage by 3.

Originally Posted by a-mac

If I bring my netbook, I will have an unlocked dongle with me that will work with any data sim......

* Is that allowed?

of course it is

Originally Posted by a-mac

Alternatively, I might just bring an unlocked HTC Touch Pro 2 and put a data sim in that.....

* Will it work?

of course yes

Here I put a new sticky thread:
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/euro...ata-italy.html