Cheap prepaid Internet for short stay in Germany? [merged] - Page 5

Lucy

I and my boyfriend will be in Germany for a month late July to late August. We both need mobile phones to talk to each other and to others. Plus I need an internet connection for my computer. I want a one-month flat rate so i don't worry about usage. (He'll have internet at the university where he is teaching a few days a week.)

Does it make sense to use one company for both tasks? If so, which? I understand that I must buy a usb stick to get the signal into my computer. (I have a smart phone, but that would not be adequate for a month of using the internet.) So that is a factor in determining the price. I'd like one that works in other countries and in the US in the event I should want a similar service here. That seems to be the most expensive item in the whole communications package i need. (Is there a standard unlocked stick I could get for less money, or do you have to get one from the provider?)

I see Tchibo being advised here as a good service, also because it doesn't live on a clogged system. Is that the best for me? What are the alternatives? Should I get phone and internet from different companies?

What about tethering? Can I use my G1 Android to connect to a wireless provider and tether that to my computer via bluetooth or cable?

Appreciate your advice.

inquisitor · 29-06-2009, 00:30

Regarding your requirements for voice communication I would recommend either Alditalk (€ 0,03/min to other Alditalk subscribers, € 0,12/min to North America and domestic networks) or Fonic (€ 0,09/min to other Fonic subscribers, North America and domestic networks). Both SIMs are easily to buy, as Alditalk is sold at omnipresent Aldi supermarkets and Fonic at Lidl, Real, Müller and dm supermarkets, which are even wider spread.
Another option would be solomo pro (if you order through this link, you'll get € 5 of extra credit and so will I) with € 0,05/min among solomo customers, € 0,09/min to North America and € 0,10/min to domestic networks with the great advantage of billing by seconds after the first minute, whereas the afore-mentioned round up call time to full minutes. The only downside of solomo is, that SIMs are only sold online and can also be recharged online by creditcard only.
Which of those is the best for you depends on distribution of destinations called.

The G1 can be tethered to a computer and so be used as a modem, but afaik the appropriate application has been pulled from the Android store and can now only be installed by rooting (hacking) your phone. However extensive modem-usage will wear out your G1's battery soon and so it may be reasonable to get a USB-modem instead.

When it comes to a modem, that will work in the US later, you should be aware of the different frequency bands used for 3G in Europe and the US:
Whereas European 3G-networks operate at 2100 MHz (and some outside of Germany also at 900 MHz), American 3G networks use 850 and 1900 MHz (AT&T) and 1700 and 2100 MHz (T-Mobile), whereby T-Mobile uses a combination of 1700 and 2100 MHz (so-called AWS), which is incompatible with the European 2100 MHz-band.
As there's no device available in Europe, that supports T-Mobile's 1700/2100 MHz-band, you could only get a device that will work in Europe and on AT&T's 3G network, but not on any other US-network (as the rest are not using UMTS-technology). So in order to get a device suitable for Germany and AT&T you would need a device supporting 850, 1900 and 2100 MHz. The only reasonably priced device meeting this requirement would be a Huawei E160.
Actually the Huawei E160 is sold by several providers (Tchibo, Fonic, Vodafone, Aldi) starting from € 30, but they all have different designations and I fear some or all are a trimmed version called E160G, which lacks support for UMTS 850 and 1900 MHz and so won't even work on AT&T's 3G network. I'll try to find out on German forums, if the E160 is available somewhere and let you know soon.

As you already found out, Tchibo is perhaps the best choice for internet access. If you want even better quality (better 3G coverage and even higher bandwidth) Vodafone is interesting, as they have a summer promotion offering 7 days of internet access for € 10. However Vodafone's so-called "WebSessions" will be terminated after reaching 1GB of data volume. That could easily happen sooner than 7 days and so you could need more than 3 WebSessions (each costing € 10) to stay online for a month.

dg7feq · 29-06-2009, 08:11

Another plus for the Vodafone data offer is that they sell the USB-Modem for 29 Euro at the moment (and it is not even SIM-locked).

Chris

inquisitor · 29-06-2009, 12:00

Just got the information, that the "Tchibo Internet Stick", which is sold for € 50 including one month of free internet access (worth € 20) does definitely support UMTS 850 and 1900, so it generally would work on AT&T's 3G network, if it wasn't locked. But you can unlock it after leaving Germany for € 15. So the total cost for the Tchibo stick (purchase, 1 month internet, unlocking) would be € 65.

Even if the Vodafone stick "K3565" supports American 3G bands, too, it wouldn't be significantly cheaper, as you would need to purchase the stick (€ 30), buy a Tchibo SIM (€ 10) and topup € 20 for the internet flatrate, so € 60 in total. If you consider the effort to order a Vodafone stick, buy a Tchibo SIM, get the topup voucher and all the technical challenges (Vodafone stick needs to be debranded in order to use other SIM cards and then the access software "Mobile Partner" doesn't support USSD-commands, which are necessary for topups), the Tchibo Internet Stick appears to be the better choice.

Lucy · **Tchibo for internet, Q about mobile phone roaming -** 29-06-2009, 16:09

So Tchibo seems best for internet. I saw on the website that there could be a two week delay getting the usb stick. Is that only for internet sales? Will I have a problem in shops? Or should I order via the internet now to make sure it arrives at a German address in time?

Re mobile phones, i read that the eplus network Alditalk uses is bad, clogged. So that Fonic would be better.

I found this comparison chart about mobile carriers which seems to be out of date in terms of minute prices:
Google Translate

Is there some chart that compares what the mobile companies charge for roaming inside Europe? For example, if i go to France for a few days, what will it cost me to make local calls? To call Germany?

I see Fonic charges
o 9 cents per minute for calls to landline numbers in Europe, the USA and Canada.
o 29 cents per minute for calls to mobile numbers in Europe, the USA and Canada

But what about FROM France to French numbers?

I see that there are quite a few German discount carriers that sell plans where the sim cost is free or equals the minutes included. Can't find that in France. (Orange costs 30 EUR for a sim!) Or am I looking in the wrong place?

dg7feq · 29-06-2009, 16:10

Yes, for sure if you want to use the Tchibo flatrate its not worth the effort. If you want to use Vodafone Websessions instead its a good deal - always depends on the coverage of course. Here in the area Vodafone is the only one with 3G coverage so the choice is quite easy for me

inquisitor · 29-06-2009, 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucy

So Tchibo seems best for internet. I saw on the website that there could be a two week delay getting the usb stick. Is that only for internet sales? Will I have a problem in shops? Or should I order via the internet now to make sure it arrives at a German address in time?

The availability shown on Tchibo's website refers to their stock for the online shop. The stick could still be available at local shops, as it is the case here in my town. So you can either order it online in advance or call some shop and ask them to reserve one or ask some German to pick one up.
Where in Germany are you actually going to stay?

Quote:

Re mobile phones, i read that the eplus network Alditalk uses is bad, clogged. So that Fonic would be better.

Those congestions on the eplus network mostly affect data usage (low speed). Voice calls usually work fine on the eplus network, as long as you use eplus' GSM-network. So if you have a 3G-phone like the T-Mobile G1, you should better switch network mode to GSM/2G-only, since congestion on the 3G-network results in unavailability despite your phone showing full reception bars. Switching to GSM/2G-only, by the way, would also prolong battery life. In general 3G is only relevant if you want high data rates.
But as mentioned, voice calling and SMS isn't an issue on the eplus GSM-network.

Quote:

Is there some chart that compares what the mobile companies charge for roaming inside Europe? For example, if i go to France for a few days, what will it cost me to make local calls? To call Germany?

Roaming tariffs are equal for almost all providers, as they all charge the maximum, which European roaming regulations allow. That means € 0,22/min for incoming calls and € 0,51/min for outgoing calls within the EU to the EU. If you call a destination outside the EU while roaming expect to be ripped off with prices above € 1/min.
The only siginificant exception with roaming tariffs is solomo pro, who charge only € 0,10/min for incoming calls in the whole European Union and outgoing calls abroad are also cheaper, at least when activating the callback option. If you go to France e.g. with solomo pro you could call Germany for € 0,29/min (fixed lines) or € 0,49/min (mobile phones) and the US from France for € 0,29/min. For a further tariff details of solomo pro go to https://www.solomo.de/?function=showTariffFC
If you are planning to go to other Europen countries solomo pro if the first choice.

Quote:

I see Fonic charges
o 9 cents per minute for calls to landline numbers in Europe, the USA and Canada.
o 29 cents per minute for calls to mobile numbers in Europe, the USA and Canada

But what about FROM France to French numbers?

That would cost € 0,51/min as stated above.

Quote:

I see that there are quite a few German discount carriers that sell plans where the sim cost is free or equals the minutes included. Can't find that in France. (Orange costs 30 EUR for a sim!) Or am I looking in the wrong place?

French SIMs are cheap to get from French eBay.
As you might be interested in cheap international rates from France, check this thread - it's primarily about cheap rates from France to Germany, but I presume those providers have similiarly cheap rates to the US.

Lucy · 29-06-2009, 18:56

Thanks.
I will be in Berlin. If I go to Paris, it would be for just a few days.

So unless I thought i would make under 20 min outgoing calls inside France, (10EUR) i could just keep the German sim. Otherwise there is at discount local French sim at 10EUR/including 5 EUR credit, 19c minute. OMER Telecom (Breizh Mobile ) using Orange network.

I'll check Solomo, but issue for me is time; I'm only in Berlin for a month, might not want to wait for mailed sim. Rather go to a shop and get all set up on the spot.

Lucy · **calls in france -** 29-06-2009, 19:01

sorry, meant to say that unless i made OVER 20 min calls in France, best to stay with German sim

Lucy · 29-06-2009, 19:37

Reading about Fonic, it says
Activation:
The card must be activated online FONIC -- Das ist die Wahrheit. (then "SIM freischalten") or Tel. 0800-4636642, Mon - Sat 8 - 20 h. You need a german bank account, a german address and a passport-number. For the first activation you must recharge 10 Euros from the german bank account

so not good for US citizens, no?

	(#41)
Lucy (Offline) Member Official Member Posts: 30 Join Date: 28 Jun 2009 Country:	computer internet connection & mobile phone for 1 month Germany - 28-06-2009, 22:19 I and my boyfriend will be in Germany for a month late July to late August. We both need mobile phones to talk to each other and to others. Plus I need an internet connection for my computer. I want a one-month flat rate so i don't worry about usage. (He'll have internet at the university where he is teaching a few days a week.) Does it make sense to use one company for both tasks? If so, which? I understand that I must buy a usb stick to get the signal into my computer. (I have a smart phone, but that would not be adequate for a month of using the internet.) So that is a factor in determining the price. I'd like one that works in other countries and in the US in the event I should want a similar service here. That seems to be the most expensive item in the whole communications package i need. (Is there a standard unlocked stick I could get for less money, or do you have to get one from the provider?) I see Tchibo being advised here as a good service, also because it doesn't live on a clogged system. Is that the best for me? What are the alternatives? Should I get phone and internet from different companies? What about tethering? Can I use my G1 Android to connect to a wireless provider and tether that to my computer via bluetooth or cable? Appreciate your advice.

	(#42)
inquisitor (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Professionist Posts: 1,399 Join Date: 15 Nov 2006 Country:	29-06-2009, 00:30 Regarding your requirements for voice communication I would recommend either Alditalk (€ 0,03/min to other Alditalk subscribers, € 0,12/min to North America and domestic networks) or Fonic (€ 0,09/min to other Fonic subscribers, North America and domestic networks). Both SIMs are easily to buy, as Alditalk is sold at omnipresent Aldi supermarkets and Fonic at Lidl, Real, Müller and dm supermarkets, which are even wider spread. Another option would be solomo pro (if you order through this link, you'll get € 5 of extra credit and so will I) with € 0,05/min among solomo customers, € 0,09/min to North America and € 0,10/min to domestic networks with the great advantage of billing by seconds after the first minute, whereas the afore-mentioned round up call time to full minutes. The only downside of solomo is, that SIMs are only sold online and can also be recharged online by creditcard only. Which of those is the best for you depends on distribution of destinations called. The G1 can be tethered to a computer and so be used as a modem, but afaik the appropriate application has been pulled from the Android store and can now only be installed by rooting (hacking) your phone. However extensive modem-usage will wear out your G1's battery soon and so it may be reasonable to get a USB-modem instead. When it comes to a modem, that will work in the US later, you should be aware of the different frequency bands used for 3G in Europe and the US: Whereas European 3G-networks operate at 2100 MHz (and some outside of Germany also at 900 MHz), American 3G networks use 850 and 1900 MHz (AT&T) and 1700 and 2100 MHz (T-Mobile), whereby T-Mobile uses a combination of 1700 and 2100 MHz (so-called AWS), which is incompatible with the European 2100 MHz-band. As there's no device available in Europe, that supports T-Mobile's 1700/2100 MHz-band, you could only get a device that will work in Europe and on AT&T's 3G network, but not on any other US-network (as the rest are not using UMTS-technology). So in order to get a device suitable for Germany and AT&T you would need a device supporting 850, 1900 and 2100 MHz. The only reasonably priced device meeting this requirement would be a Huawei E160. Actually the Huawei E160 is sold by several providers (Tchibo, Fonic, Vodafone, Aldi) starting from € 30, but they all have different designations and I fear some or all are a trimmed version called E160G, which lacks support for UMTS 850 and 1900 MHz and so won't even work on AT&T's 3G network. I'll try to find out on German forums, if the E160 is available somewhere and let you know soon. As you already found out, Tchibo is perhaps the best choice for internet access. If you want even better quality (better 3G coverage and even higher bandwidth) Vodafone is interesting, as they have a summer promotion offering 7 days of internet access for € 10. However Vodafone's so-called "WebSessions" will be terminated after reaching 1GB of data volume. That could easily happen sooner than 7 days and so you could need more than 3 WebSessions (each costing € 10) to stay online for a month. terminals: Samsung: Galaxy S5 DuoS (G900FD); BLU: Win HD LTE; Nokia: 1200; Asus: Fonepad 7 ME372CG; Huawei data: E3372, Vodafone R201, K3765, E1762; postpaid: O2 on Business XL; prepaid: DE: Aldi Talk, Lidl; UK: 3; BG: MTel, vivacom; RU: MTS; RS: MTS; UAE: du Tourist SIM; INT'L: toggle mobile VoIP: sipgate.de (German DID); sipgate.co.uk (British DID); ukddi.com (British DID); sipcall.ch (Swiss DID); megafon.bg (Bulgarian DID); InterVoip.com Last edited by inquisitor; 29-06-2009 at 00:49..

	(#43)
dg7feq (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Guru Posts: 1,164 Join Date: 04 Feb 2006 Location: Germany Country:	29-06-2009, 08:11 Another plus for the Vodafone data offer is that they sell the USB-Modem for 29 Euro at the moment (and it is not even SIM-locked). Chris Germany: o2 blue all-in L, simquadrat Thailand: truemove (phone+sms+wifi) International: xxSim+372, toggle +44/+49/+41/+31 Phones: Huawei Mate7, Huawei P9

	(#44)
inquisitor (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Professionist Posts: 1,399 Join Date: 15 Nov 2006 Country:	29-06-2009, 12:00 Just got the information, that the "Tchibo Internet Stick", which is sold for € 50 including one month of free internet access (worth € 20) does definitely support UMTS 850 and 1900, so it generally would work on AT&T's 3G network, if it wasn't locked. But you can unlock it after leaving Germany for € 15. So the total cost for the Tchibo stick (purchase, 1 month internet, unlocking) would be € 65. Even if the Vodafone stick "K3565" supports American 3G bands, too, it wouldn't be significantly cheaper, as you would need to purchase the stick (€ 30), buy a Tchibo SIM (€ 10) and topup € 20 for the internet flatrate, so € 60 in total. If you consider the effort to order a Vodafone stick, buy a Tchibo SIM, get the topup voucher and all the technical challenges (Vodafone stick needs to be debranded in order to use other SIM cards and then the access software "Mobile Partner" doesn't support USSD-commands, which are necessary for topups), the Tchibo Internet Stick appears to be the better choice. terminals: Samsung: Galaxy S5 DuoS (G900FD); BLU: Win HD LTE; Nokia: 1200; Asus: Fonepad 7 ME372CG; Huawei data: E3372, Vodafone R201, K3765, E1762; postpaid: O2 on Business XL; prepaid: DE: Aldi Talk, Lidl; UK: 3; BG: MTel, vivacom; RU: MTS; RS: MTS; UAE: du Tourist SIM; INT'L: toggle mobile VoIP: sipgate.de (German DID); sipgate.co.uk (British DID); ukddi.com (British DID); sipcall.ch (Swiss DID); megafon.bg (Bulgarian DID); InterVoip.com

	(#45)
Lucy (Offline) Member Official Member Posts: 30 Join Date: 28 Jun 2009 Country:	Tchibo for internet, Q about mobile phone roaming - 29-06-2009, 16:09 So Tchibo seems best for internet. I saw on the website that there could be a two week delay getting the usb stick. Is that only for internet sales? Will I have a problem in shops? Or should I order via the internet now to make sure it arrives at a German address in time? Re mobile phones, i read that the eplus network Alditalk uses is bad, clogged. So that Fonic would be better. I found this comparison chart about mobile carriers which seems to be out of date in terms of minute prices: Google Translate Is there some chart that compares what the mobile companies charge for roaming inside Europe? For example, if i go to France for a few days, what will it cost me to make local calls? To call Germany? I see Fonic charges o 9 cents per minute for calls to landline numbers in Europe, the USA and Canada. o 29 cents per minute for calls to mobile numbers in Europe, the USA and Canada But what about FROM France to French numbers? I see that there are quite a few German discount carriers that sell plans where the sim cost is free or equals the minutes included. Can't find that in France. (Orange costs 30 EUR for a sim!) Or am I looking in the wrong place?

	(#46)
dg7feq (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Guru Posts: 1,164 Join Date: 04 Feb 2006 Location: Germany Country:	29-06-2009, 16:10 Yes, for sure if you want to use the Tchibo flatrate its not worth the effort. If you want to use Vodafone Websessions instead its a good deal - always depends on the coverage of course. Here in the area Vodafone is the only one with 3G coverage so the choice is quite easy for me Germany: o2 blue all-in L, simquadrat Thailand: truemove (phone+sms+wifi) International: xxSim+372, toggle +44/+49/+41/+31 Phones: Huawei Mate7, Huawei P9

	(#48)
Lucy (Offline) Member Official Member Posts: 30 Join Date: 28 Jun 2009 Country:	29-06-2009, 18:56 Thanks. I will be in Berlin. If I go to Paris, it would be for just a few days. So unless I thought i would make under 20 min outgoing calls inside France, (10EUR) i could just keep the German sim. Otherwise there is at discount local French sim at 10EUR/including 5 EUR credit, 19c minute. OMER Telecom (Breizh Mobile ) using Orange network. I'll check Solomo, but issue for me is time; I'm only in Berlin for a month, might not want to wait for mailed sim. Rather go to a shop and get all set up on the spot.

	(#49)
Lucy (Offline) Member Official Member Posts: 30 Join Date: 28 Jun 2009 Country:	calls in france - 29-06-2009, 19:01 sorry, meant to say that unless i made OVER 20 min calls in France, best to stay with German sim

	(#50)
Lucy (Offline) Member Official Member Posts: 30 Join Date: 28 Jun 2009 Country:	29-06-2009, 19:37 Reading about Fonic, it says Activation: The card must be activated online FONIC -- Das ist die Wahrheit. (then "SIM freischalten") or Tel. 0800-4636642, Mon - Sat 8 - 20 h. You need a german bank account, a german address and a passport-number. For the first activation you must recharge 10 Euros from the german bank account so not good for US citizens, no?