Greece HSPA (prepaid and postpaid offers)

[nicolaerugina]

Hi again,

I found this CosmoKarta on ebay GREECE SIM Card COSMOTE + PHONE NUMBER+FREE INTERNET - eBay (item 260383607627 end time Jun-24-09 02:43:40 PDT)
Will this cover my needs. I am looking for free internet not WAP!!!!

Thank You

[DaveRo]

Originally Posted by nicolaerugina

... I found some good advices, but some of them there are older than a year!!!! Some of them no more available on today!...

I suggest that you just study the posts dated 2009.

There is also a recent update on this blog:
Mobile Internet for Visitors in Greece 2009

I have found the Cosmote 3G is widely available in the Aegean Islands. I've also found that when the 3G connection is poor (on Naxos it dropped every 10 minutes) a GPRS connection was more reliable.

I've stopped using Wind so I don't know about its coverage here.

[DaveRo]

Back in May I read on the excellent Living In Greece blog about proposals to require owners of Greek pre-paid SIMs to register them: Prepaid cell phone cards in Greece lose anonymity starting July

I've been waiting for details to emerge, but so far none have, and as I'm off back to Leros this week I thought I'd post this. If anyone has further info, please post it here. I don't look forward to going into a Cosmote shop with a handful of SIMs to register - I suspect it'll be simpler to throw them away and buy new ones.

The deadline for registering is not until June 30th 2010 but I suppose it's possible that new procedures may apply to buyers of new SIMs now or soon. But my guess is that nobody in the phone shops will have a clue and that nothing will happen until the last minute.

[stefania]

DaveRo, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't her article in the first paragraph say that registration of SIMs hasn't begun because of political bickering?

Sounds like she updates her articles quite regularly to reflect current news.

[Evan]

The law with the specific details has not been voted on the Parliament yet.

If you are going to Leros or anywhere in Greece at the moment, you can still buy prepaid SIMs in any store or kiosk without the need of registration.

[Evan]

Since I'm in Greece at the moment, here are some updates on the prepaid mobile internet:

Prepaid data plans 30-100 MB/month

1. COSMOTE

- Data plan "MyView'n'Web", WAP (with proxy), 4€/month, 40MB volume included, 0.0119€/ΚΒ afterwards.

All the details are covered on the excellent guide of DaveRo here:
Greek Internet Weather Yacht Vigdis or in Greek here: COSMOTE: /COSMOTE my view/???????? (??????????)

Update: The introductory offer of 40MB for the first 15 days was cancelled few days ago.


2. VODAFONE

- Data plan "Surf & Email 30", Internet (no proxy), 3.5€/month, 30MB volume included, 0.0009€/ΚΒ afterwards.

The first month is free. All the details (in English) here:
Vodafone.gr - Pricing & Bundles

- Data Plan "Unlimited Music & Internet", Internet (no proxy), 5€/month (until end of August, after 7.99€/month), 100MB volume included.

This plan works only for certain mobile phones. You can find more info here:
Vodafone.gr - Music

Update: It's now possible to register only for the 100MB/mo Internet (no music) in case you don't have one of the phones listed on the above link.


3. WIND

- Data Plan "Wind Plus", WAP (with proxy), 3.99€/month, 40MB volume included, 0.0119€/ΚΒ afterwards.

Activation by sending the word "PLUS" to 19349.

Update: As of 14 August, the plan is renewed automatically every month. If you don't want that call CC at 1260. Also, as of 14 August, it is possible to check your used volume and expiration date, but texting the word "CHECK" to 19349.

Info (only in Greek) here: WIND PLUS

=========================================

Prepaid data plan 1GB/day

WIND

- Data Plan "prepaid ADSM Non-Stop", Internet (no proxy), 14€/7-days, 7GB volume included (or 7€/2-days, 2GB volume included)

Remarks: The two plans called NS2 (for 2 days) and NS7 (for 7 days) of (almost) unlimited data. The good thing is that they actually give you 3 and 8 days respectively. For example, if you activate the NS2 on Monday morning, it expires at 12 midnight of Wednesday.

To activate text the message NS 2 or NS 7 to 19595. Info in English here:
WIND HELLAS

[DaveRo]

Update: As of 14 August, the plan is renewed automatically every month...

Thanks for that clarification.

So both Cosmote My View'n'Web and Wind Plus Non-stop renew automatically.

I was in a bay on Kalimnos where I got a reasonable Cosmote GPRS signal but I couldn't get a data connection, so I'm using Wind NS as well.

Dave

(from Pserimos - excellent 3G signal from KOS)

[Evan]

Yes, with the updated Wind Plus Non-stop, you've got the additional advantage of being informed with a text message about your data usage in real time.

Also the Wind Plus NS, connects with 3G wherever there is a 3G coverage, while the Cosmote MyView'n'Web connects always with GPRS even if there is 3G coverage (this needs confirmation but I've heard it from various people).

In general, Cosmote has far greater 3G coverage than Wind and Vodafone, but due to its network congestion, Vodafone and Wind have far better speeds than Cosmote. With Vodafone and Wind I've never experienced 3G speeds less than 1Mbps (of course I use the Wind ADSM plan with 1GB/day on those cases. The 40MB plans are quite "risky" on 3G).

edit (to add more updates).

1. UPDATE the Wind PLUS Non-Stop: From now on, if you don't want the automatic renewal of the plan, send STOP to 19349

2. UPDATE for Cosmote MyView'n'Web: the introductory offer of 40MB free for the first 15 days, is again active. However, I don't know for how long, since many people found a hole in the system and took advantage of that offer to get free internet every 15 days.

[DaveRo]

... the Wind Plus NS, connects with 3G wherever there is a 3G coverage, while the Cosmote MyView'n'Web connects always with GPRS even if there is 3G coverage (this needs confirmation but I've heard it from various people).

No - I'm currently using Cosmote myView'n'Web over 3G here on Kos.

In general, Cosmote has far greater 3G coverage than Wind and Vodafone, but due to its network congestion

Yes - speeds on Cosmote can be very slow. It's best early in the morning - which is when I want waether forecasts

[dario]

Dear Sirs,

I thank you for this opportunity.

For my temporaneous permanence in Greece, I would use this offer:

WIND ADSM CLOCK
WIND HELLAS
100 hours = 30 euro

However I have not understood if I can use this offer with a prepaid card without contract, month for month, without to be compelled to acquire a netbook, usbkey or other product.

I would connect to Internet only through my mobile phone and notebooke.

mCould you help me to understand that?

Many thanks in advance,

Dario