mobile broadband

[roysee]

I hope I got this right(I just purchased one for my wife's birthday) ,but have purchased for£49 a mobile modem from 3.
For £10 a month PAYG ,I get 3GB which equates to approx.30 hours web surfing,650 emails,60 music tracks,and 30 down loaded videos.
It can be used in Ireland,Austria, Italy (oddly not France), for the same price as UK, but if the 3GB is exceeded is charged between £3-£6 per MB.
Ideal for those who like to keep in touch on there laptop.

[ENGJMAX]

Hi Roy

We have the same thing from 3 for the laptop, it plugs in via a usb port, and works very well.

Josephine and Kathleen also both have 3 phones with 500 anytime calls, this was great when joseohine was over at the end of March she made 17 calls to Uk nos ( landline & mobile ) for zero cost as they were included in her allowance.

As an existing 3 customer we got the modem for free.

But do not go over the download limit or you may need to sit down when you get the Bill,
to be fair 3 do send you warning messages when you are near your limit.

[brynithel3]

Hi Roysee

I've got a 2 skype Mobile phones from 3 network, cost £12 each a month.

My wife and I use them regularly we get 90 mins a month on normal phone (an extra 200 mins to another 3 phone) and unlimited free calls on Skype. So we loan one to our daughter, when we go to italy or when she is on holiday. You just leave your phone on skype and the phone works as normal but for free. I thought there may be a catch but it has worked well for six months and saved us a fortune. My wife and daughter chat for what seems like hours and now the two grandchildren (31/2 and 4) use them too.

Its child's play and its free.

Ciao

John

[elgian]

Hi folks;

just a question to all 3 network users: whats the signal like in Scalea? I was about to also select 3 Italia as an ISP (9 Euro p.m.) but was discouraged in doing so because I was told that the 3 network signal in Scalea is weak and unreliable.

Incidentally, Roy, is your mobile phone not 3G compatible? If so, you can use that as a modem.

Ciao a tutti

Gian

[ENGJMAX]

Hi Elgin

I can only comment on our family experience, we are based right in the centre of town of
Scalea and have never had a problem with getting a signal, Josephine & Kathleen are on 3 whilst I am on vodafone

I am not sure about the outlying areas

best wishes

John

[melanie1]

I have a 3G phone and a mobile broadband from 3both have a great signal in the centre of Scalea. I live 4km south of Scalea and the signal is rather weak, but does work if a little slow.

I would certainly check for a signal where your property is before commiting to a contract.

Kind Regards
Melanie

[elgian]

Hi all;

thanks to Mel and John. No doubt, then, that I got hoodwinked by salesman talk. I realized later that my flat, at the Baia del Carpino, is maybe 100 metres from every Dick, Tom and Harry's cell phone masts so, I would have no right to get weak signals from anyone!

Oh, well ... I'll ditch all the telephony big wigs, next year.

ciao

Gian

[RioneGlen]

Does anyone know where I can get internet access in Scalea? It is just to check in on-line and print off our boarding passes.

Thanks.


Shirley

[patmc]

There is a good Internet Café, called FutureNext, just off Via Dante Alighieri.

Go south along Via Lauro and, just after The United Colours of Benitton, turn right down Via Dante Alighieri. Almost at the bottom of the street there is small lane off to the right. Future Next is on the right hand side. It’s a computer shop with an Internet café at the back. It costs 1 Euro per hour with extra for printing.

Two words of warning though:

It closes, like most other things in Scalea, from 1pm to 4pm.

Also, you need to bring your passport in order to be allowed use the Internet Café. This, I understand, is Italian Law and not a peculiarity of the owner. They are very nice and helpful, though there is no café, just Internet.

Pat Mc

[RioneGlen]

Thanks Pat Mc for your info. Very helpful as I can now check in on line before heading to the airport. Save a lot of queuing at check ins.

[forzascalea]

Originally Posted by elgian

Incidentally, Roy, is your mobile phone not 3G compatible? If so, you can use that as a modem.

I thought this as well, the answer is that with the modem you pay a flat rate of €19 per month and get virtually unlimited internet access, using the phone the tariff is not the same and costs more to use it for the internet. It seems silly to me as one thing can do everything but 3 obviously have other ideas!.

Using the phone for both would be convenient if used very little.

David

[elgian]

Originally Posted by forzascalea

I thought this as well, the answer is that with the modem you pay a flat rate of €19 per month and get virtually unlimited internet access, using the phone the tariff is not the same and costs more to use it for the internet. It seems silly to me as one thing can do everything but 3 obviously have other ideas!.

Using the phone for both would be convenient if used very little.

David

Yah, David, the obscure forces of marketing! Not to mention the weak-minded consumer that fell prey to sales-talk! I ended up paying 6 Euro more with another ISP and got no free modem. Mind you, I get almost unlimited bandwidth (9 G/month) albeit restricted to 17:00 to 07:00 and week-ends. Been downloading drivers and apps like there is no tomorrow! And having little sleep!

I guess I'll go and download a new operating system now.
ciao

Gian

[annetigano]

Just thought anyone who uses a UK '3' dongle for internet connection should be aware that as from 1st July this will no longer be free for use abroad. They tell me it will cost £3 per MB which is quite unacceptable.
What is the cheapest Italian mobile internet to use? Would be looking for use a month at a time about 5 times a year. Would appreciate any advice. Many thanks.
Anne & Tony

[elgian]

Originally Posted by annetigano

Just thought anyone who uses a UK '3' dongle for internet connection should be aware that as from 1st July this will no longer be free for use abroad. They tell me it will cost £3 per MB which is quite unacceptable.
What is the cheapest Italian mobile internet to use? Would be looking for use a month at a time about 5 times a year. Would appreciate any advice. Many thanks.
Anne & Tony

Hi Folks;

I tried 3 Italia, last Jan and Feb, for ~3 Euro/week unlimited usage. As a matter of fact, I have a vague recollection that it comes to 9 Euro if you take a whole month. The problem is that the signal around Scalea is quite rotten. I was also connecting from Petrosa (Baia del Carpino Condo) and the signal was good so long as there were no clouds or storms around. The minute the first few storm clouds gathered, I'd loose the connection and battle for hours to get back to a decent signal. 3 Italia are supposed to lean on TIM when their signal gets lost but, it didn't seem to work all that reliably at that time.

With TIM, I took a monthly tariff of, I think, 20 Euro/month for a 9 gig cap between 17:00 and 07:00.

Hope this helps

ciao

Gian

[mizzy]

The reason I posted about internet access is because we used to use a '3' dongle, which is I think what you have, but from 1st July, 3 are stopping the use of your free minutes.
Mind you I just read the bit about improving the site and directing others to the 'search' facility, so I did use it, and now know where there is an internet cafe.

[elgian]

Originally Posted by mizzy

The reason I posted about internet access is because we used to use a '3' dongle, which is I think what you have, but from 1st July, 3 are stopping the use of your free minutes.
Mind you I just read the bit about improving the site and directing others to the 'search' facility, so I did use it, and now know where there is an internet cafe.

Hi;

I wasn't quite aware of the "free minutes" you have on that tariff but, I don't use the 3 dongle: I use my cell phone. So, I got a SIM card that I insert in my older 3G compatible Nokia and I re-charge it as I go. As I said, 9 euro/month, plus the cost of the SIM card if you swap from the "chiavetta 3" to the use of your cell phone.

ciao

[Doug]

Hi Giancarlo and friends,

I should share that we bought a wireless usb modem and contract connected to TIM. It is the ALICE 100. Cannot remember the initial cost of software and the modem, but you get 100 hours of anytime internet connection for E25. It works for us all over the Scalea area and inside the thick walls of our Santa Domenica house, and in Roma. There is a cheaper program thru TIM which has free access late in the day, but we wanted anytime access. Should warn that it can only be used in Italy. We logged on while in Florida on the way to Italy last month (just for kicks) and when we arrived in Scalea to pay another 20 euro for time, we found a bill from TIM for E90 for the 5-10 minutes we had logged-on inside the USA!!

We'll probably stay with this system once we are living there too as it seems to work all over the country. A similar setup here in the states costs $60 per month regardless of time used, so this is a better deal for moderate internet use. When we start traveling about Europe, I'm sure we'll have to look for something more universal if we want to drag the laptop along.

Ciao a presto,

[elgian]

Hi again, Folks;

incidentally, there is another internet cafe behind Il Corsaro pizzeria. Facing the San Nicola church and the statue of San Nicola (I think).

cheers

[Dermot Brophy]

Hello all.

Re the internet place behind Corsaro - Post-box, or some such name, I think the charges are rather more than the 1 euro per hour mentioned for the other place. I used it once or twice - pleasant, helpful people, I think the chap I dealt with can speak English, Just check the comparative prices first, I suggest.

I have a dongle from 3 Ireland, and my 19Euro per month include usage here. I have heard nothing about any change from July 1, so I hope it doesn't change for us Irish users. I'd be getting very angry with them if they changed the goal-posts in mid-match!

Re signal, in San Nicola Arcella I have no problem, either with my mobile phone or my dongle. The strength does vary, but very rarely causes drop-out.
They both also work in Rome, over on the East coast of Calabria, at least as far south on our side as Tropea and north as far as Naples. so far, I'm happy!

Regards to all

Dermot

[uakelly]

I cannot speak for Ireland but the goalposts were certainly changed in UK within our contract time. Explanation? EU ruling didn't allow their offer anymore. Just be very careful when using this account. In the garden a few nights ago we used ours to use internet outside for 20 mins or so. Afterwards out of curiosity we priced what that would have cost in Italy! Over £60. What we used in May half term would have cost over £2000! at current prices and we did confirm this with 3!