Greece HSPA (prepaid and postpaid offers)

[Evan]

Thank you for the comments and the feedback


Some amendments and corrections of the overview post.

A small correction to the point #6 of the general post. Instead of (in bold):

Originally Posted by Evan

[SIZE="5"]6. Top-up scratch cards or vouchers (5, 10, 15, 20 and 30€) are available everywhere and the credit is added through a call or/and an SMS. Keep in mind that since 2010 there is a 12% tax deducted, so if for example purchase a 10€ card, you will get 8.8 credit. The only exception to that is when you top up 20€ or more in any Wind store or 30€ or more in any Cosmote store (information below).

the correct is: "...if for example purchase a 10€ card, you will get 8.93 credit." In general, to calculate the credit (minus the 12% tax) you get from the top up scratch cards, just divide the nominal price of the card by 1.12.



An amendment to the Vodafone data plan #4 (Vodafone KartoInternet). Instead of:

Originally Posted by Evan

Notes:

• After 17 March, the sessions price and bundled volume will change. There will be only three available sessions, offering 30 minutes, 1 day or 15 days for 2, 5 and 20€ respectively.

It should read: There will be only three available sessions, offering 30 minutes, 1 day or 15 days for 2, 5 and 20€ respectively, and 500MB, 1GB and 1GB respectively.

[Evan]

@wisniak: If you want to use the new Mobile Hotspot feature of iOS 4.3, I read that Vodafone allows it only with its Data Plan #4 (Vodafone KartoInternet). On Cosmote and Wind the Mobile Hotspot is activated on all their data plans. This of course is a limitation/"feature" of iOs only. Other devices/OS (Android, WinMo or WiFi modems) can still do a Mobile Hotspot.

@timmfive: Regarding your problem with the speed decrease from "1M down/up to 50k down/up", I just read on a Greek Q forum, that few people have the same problem but only if they've far exceeded their 100MB data allowance. People who used more than 1 or 2GB had their speed throttled to 40-50kB/s while others who have used 2-5GB had their speed throttled to GPRS, i.e., 4-7kB/s. Since you've used the plan for tethering, have you've exceeded the 100MB data plan by far?

I'm not sure if the local Wind store agent can help you to get the speed back but alternatively you can contact the customer care through their site or mail to crm@wind.com.gr.

@Majkee(SK): Welcome to the forum and thank you for your report. Postpaid (data) plans are the best solution for people who will stay in Greece for at least 2 months or more, since the terms of the contracts are quite "flexible" comparing to many other countries (e.g. Germany). Most of the contracts last for 12 months but you can cancel them at any time after the first month. And if you got an unsubsidized contract you don't pay anything for the cancellation. On a subsidized contract you pay the price of the device subsidy.

Regarding the speed of "only 512kbit/s", consider yourself lucky you got that especially in Thessaloniki. I read reports of many problems in Thessaloniki (and elsewhere), because many of the antennas were taken down. There is a recent craze where many uninformed locals and their mayors consider that the mobile radiation is bad, so they make petitions, gather signatures, go to court and take the antennas down. As for the islands, the situation varies depending on where you will stay or which network you will use.

In general, and this applies also to short stay visitors, before committing to a postpaid plan or an "expensive" prepaid plan, it is advisable to check first the network coverage and speeds of the area that you will be staying. To do this, just get a prepaid SIM card from all three operators (cost 5€ or in many cases free), subscribe to a 60-100MB data add-on (3-5€) and check the network speeds. You will save yourselves from a lot of frustration and money.

[goldeneyed]

When you say these plans for computers does that mean it cannot be used in a phone at all? And if you can use it in a phone, can you switch from one type of plan to another and keep the same SIM card? Thanks.

Originally Posted by Evan

WIND

General Information

• Coverage Map

• Wind Stores

• Prepaid products:

- New Wind Card
- Wind F2G (Free to Go)

• Registration

• Activation

• Top-up vouchers and instructions

• Credit check, top-up, validity check:

- Credit balance check: Send a blank SMS to 1269 (or call 1269)
- Top-up: Send the top up code without spaces to 1268 (or call 1268 )
- Customer care: call 1260

Prepaid data plans and offers

1. WIND Plus Non Stop (Google translation)

Included volume: 40MB
Duration: 30 days
Price: 4.12€
Charge after the included volume: 0.007€/KB (with internet APN) or 0.0123€/ΚΒ (with wap APN)
Activation: Send PLUS to 19349
Remaining volume: Send CHECK to 19349
Deactivation: Send STOP to 19349
APN: gint.b-online.gr (leave the rest blank)

Notes:

• The add-on is mainly for data on your mobile. However is rather obsolete, since there are better and cheaper data add-ons (see below)
• The subscription is renewed automatically every 30 days.
• The add-on can only be purchased once every month.
• Even if a WAP APN is available (gwap.b-online.gr), it is not recommended because the charges are much higher after the consumption of the bundled volume. Use the Internet APN instead.

2. WIND Non stop "surf"

Included volume: 100MB
Duration: 30 days
Price: 5€
Charge after the included volume: 0.0009€/KB (or 0.92€/ΜΒ)
Activation: Send "100" to 1210
Remaining volume: Send YP or ΥΠ to 1210
APN: gint.b-online.gr (leave the rest blank)

Notes:

• Special offer until 31 March 2011: For each add-on you activate, you will get 500MB instead of 100MB. Just send "500" to 1210. The conditions are the same like the 100MB add-on.
• The plan is mainly for data on your mobile. However, with the current offer of 500MB it could be used for data on the computer (standalone or with tethering)
• The data add-on is deactivated automatically 30 days after its activation.
• You can purchase up to 5 add-ons each month. Each time you purchase a new add-on, the remaining data volume is added to your new volume and the validity is extended for 30 more days.

3. WIND ADSM Card (Google translation)

Included volume: 1GB
Duration: 30 days
Price: 15€
Charge after the included volume: 0.02€/ΜΒ
Activation: Send "1GB" to 19595
Remaining volume: Send YP to 19595
APN: gint.b-online.gr (leave the rest blank)

Notes:

• This add-on is for computers but can be used for mobiles as well.
• According to their English page (not available anymore), if you consume the 1GB of the included volume, you can activate the packet again even before the 30 days are over.

4. WIND ADSM Non-Stop (NS2 or NS7)

Included volume: 3GB (NS2) or 12GB (NS7)
Duration: 2 days (NS2) or 7 days (NS7)
Price: 7€ (NS2) or 14€ (NS7)
Charge after the included volume: 0.02€/ΜΒ
Activation: Send "NS2" or "NS7" to 19595 Remaining volume: Send YP to 19595
APN: gint.b-online.gr (leave the rest blank)

Notes:

• This add-on is mainly for computers and users who need a lot of data.
• The two plans called NS2 (for 2 days) and NS7 (for 7 days) they actually give you almost 3 and 8 days respectively. For example, if you activate the NS2 on Monday morning, it expires at 12 midnight of Wednesday.

5. WIND Mobile Broadband me karta

Included volume: 1, 2 or 3GB
Duration: 1, 7 or 30 days respectively
Price: 5, 10 or 30€ respectively
Charge after the included volume: Ν/Α
Activation: Send the 16-digit e-Voucher number to 1268 through the WIND Connection Manager
Remaining volume: Send "YP" or "balance" to 1228 through the WIND Connection Manager
APN: gint.b-online.gr (leave the rest blank)

Notes:

• This plan is mainly for data on the computer
• The SIM card is does not offer voice, only data and only SMS to the two service numbers (1228 and 1268 )

[Evan]

Originally Posted by goldeneyed

When you say these plans for computers does that mean it cannot be used in a phone at all? And if you can use it in a phone, can you switch from one type of plan to another and keep the same SIM card? Thanks.

The WIND plans #1 to #4 are all add-ons that work with the normal SIM cards. As "normal" I mean a SIM card that offers voice and texts too and you can use it with a phone or with an USB modem. All those plans can be used in a phone or in a computer, Wind doesn't have a special limitation on which device you should use them. However, the small plans of 40-100MB/month are not useful for computer usage. Also you can switch from one type of plan to another when the plan period is over but I don't think that you can combine different plans at the same time.

The only exception (and an important one) are the available data plans for computers which are offered with a special data SIM card. The "special" SIM cards offer only data, not voice or SMS. Those plans are the Cosmote #2, Vodafone #4 and Wind #5. Those special plans could work in a phone as well but keep in mind that you will only have data, not voice/texts on your phone.

In general, most operators in Greece and elsewhere, offer two distinct data plans for (a) phones (b) computers, and they explicitly prohibit the usage of a phone data plan in a computer. However, in most cases they do not prohibit the opposite (because the computer data plans are more expensive and offer more data), therefore you can use a computer data plan in a phone.

[goldeneyed]

Perfect that's great to know! It's simpler than I thought then. Here in North America it's a whole lot more complicated hehe.

[timmfive]

Just an update to my "Q" data speed issues. (outlined here: link)

I wrote the Q customer service as per Evans post. After a week the informed me of the difference between 3G and GPRS speeds. I replied saying I am aware of this difference but that I am currently in a 3G area. No reply.

I also tried calling the customer support line a few times, but when I select the option for English, the menu reverts to an infinite loop in Greek.

So I went (once again) to the WIND store. This time my trusted WIND agent informs me that "Q doesn't support 3G anymore". (!!!??!). Not sure why he sold me the credit last time, but I guess he learned something new. I explained that I used to get 3G speeds with Q, but seemed like ~March 1st it stopped... he just kept saying that "Q doesn't have 3G anymore".

Regardless, the unadvertised unlimited Q data plan that I had last year has ended. And their 500M for €5 is also offered by parent company WIND. Whether Q are throttling data back to GPRS speeds or throttling my account in specific... doesn't matter. I've had enough messing around. So I just got a WIND SIM, new number, new account, and have 3G speeds back.

Bottom line: don't bother with Q anymore. Go with WIND. 500MB for €5.
(but things seem to change alot in Greece so stay tuned!)

[tariq]

@Evan - or anyone else who knows.

I see all the operators have the "500MB". Is it still valid for any operator? I arrive to Greece on 20.4 for 2 weeks to sail between the islands and I was hoping to use the offer.

I would appreciate any suggestion on what to choose (i'll be using my ipad most probably).

T.

[dognaldo]

Hi,
I am from Brazil and will go to Greece for 3 weeks in July (1 week in Athens and 2 weeks in the islands).
Is there a Cosmote or Wind store where i can buy a prepaid data sim for my usb key in Athenas Internacional Airport (ATH) ? I will use same sim in my tablet and netbook.
Thanks.

[Evan]

Originally Posted by timmfive

Bottom line: don't bother with Q anymore. Go with WIND. 500MB for €5.
(but things seem to change alot in Greece so stay tuned!)

Keep in mind that the "500MB for 5€" is just an offer that was originally valid until 31 March. Few days ago, it was extended until 30 April 2011.

Originally Posted by tariq

@Evan - or anyone else who knows.

I see all the operators have the "500MB". Is it still valid for any operator? I arrive to Greece on 20.4 for 2 weeks to sail between the islands and I was hoping to use the offer.

I would appreciate any suggestion on what to choose (i'll be using my ipad most probably).

You mean the "500MB for 5€" offer that all four operators had? This offer ended on 31 March for Cosmote and Vodafone but Wind extended it for one more month.

What to choose depends on which operator has the best coverage on the places you plan to visit and second, on how much data you estimate you will consume. You can have a look on the links of my signature and let us know if you have additional questions.

A quick suggestion could be the "COSMOTE Internet On The Go me karta" plan but I don't know if they have Micro-SIMs with that plan for your iPad.
COSMOTE: Mobile Internet on your computer

Originally Posted by dognaldo

Hi,
I am from Brazil and will go to Greece for 3 weeks in July (1 week in Athens and 2 weeks in the islands).
Is there a Cosmote or Wind store where i can buy a prepaid data sim for my usb key in Athenas Internacional Airport (ATH) ? I will use same sim in my tablet and netbook.
Thanks.

For Cosmote, there is a Germanos store at the Arrivals Level of the airport. Wind doesn't have an airport store but if you plan to be in Athens for 1 week, you can look for shops in the center of Athens.

[OldBawley]

Rhodes town. Wind shop. Friendly salesman. Want to buy a prepaid broadband stick and a 30 days start. Sailing the small islands of the Dodecanese, i now it wil be inpossible to find the Airtime Renewal Scratch Cards, so i decide to take two 30 € cards with me, in order to charge up on the way. The salesman explanes that ading a new card only charges the data amount, NOT the days.
he schows it to me on his ( Greek ) monitor. So only activate new scratch card after the other is expired.
Problem no cards availeble on Rhodes, kiosk vendor explains that those cards are not available. Greeks charge with some kiosk electronic thingy. Not possible in a deserted bay on a small island.
Cosmothe and vodaphone : Only charge up in store. No store.