Mobile Internet whilst in PP

[vincent]

Was just wondering. I arrive in PP in 3 days and whilst there I would like to be able to use my mobile phone for internet. My carrier 3 has the usual high charges when roaming abroad.

Is there an alternative such as buying a local network SIM etc or should I just use wifi in the restaurant's/bars?

Thanks

 

[Sparky]

Yes Vincent you can buy a Spanish SIM card in the Movistar shop in the Port, or have a look here :- http://www.forum.puertopollensa.com/internet-telephones-mobile-phones/8870-wifi.html#post72230, alternatively the majority of bars/cafes offer free WIFI, just by a drink .

 

[clinkham]

Vincent, notice from your earlier post you are stopping at Pollensamar (what a good choice).
Plenty of nearby wifi hotspots. Laguna next door, whilst in the other direction Hotel Villa Singala and the Spar shop across the Formentor road. All three pleasant places to sit and have cooling drink and catch up with work(?) on line. The Illa d'Or across from Pollensamar has wifi, but I have found the login a bit hit and miss.
Loads of wifi in and around the Port. You only need 3g if you really really need internet inside the apartment. Depending where you are placed in Pollensamar, you may be able to hook up to the edges of Lagunas signal. Before Singala installed wifi last year, we used to be able to get the Spar wifi signal if you sat in the first floor stairwell.
Bonanca super market can supply most of your daily requirements, mostly better priced than others nearby. We usually try to spread our ‘holiday food spend’ around the various retailers, particularly the ‘one shop’ owners.
It's a couple of years since we were at Pollensamar so they may have got the lift fixed by now - occasionally the lift doors would close but no 'lifting' took plcae. A short period of gentle jumping up and down was all that was necessary to kick (or jump) start the lift into action.

 

[vincent]

Thanks very much Sparky and Clinkham lots of good info there. My wife won't be too happy if the lift does that though. Will give me a laugh..

Had a walk around the Port last nite on Google earth to reacquaint myself as its been a few years myself since I was out..

 

[emmalou]

If wifi free at Illa d'Or if you buy a drink, thought I had read somewhere you have to pay?

 

[pollensa]

OR you can rent a mobile wi-fi for only 39.90 EUR per week & even better news, we've just been given an exclusive 15% discount code of PTOPOLLENSA15 (exclusive to puertopollensa.com )

The mobile wifi is a tiny little gadget that you carry about with you & can attach up to 5 wifi devices (phone, ipad, laptop etc.).

 

[vincent]

OR you can rent a mobile wi-fi for only 39.90 EUR per week & even better news, we've just been given an exclusive 15% discount code of PTOPOLLENSA15 (exclusive to puertopollensa.com )

The mobile wifi is a tiny little gadget that you carry about with you & can attach up to 5 wifi devices (phone, ipad, laptop etc.).

How do you go about getting this?

 

[pollensa]

How do you go about getting this?

Just go their site wifi rental & book online (& remember to get your 15% discount using promo code PTOPOLLENSA15!). You'll then be able to collect your mobile wifi at the airport or via designated hotel/agents in the port.

 

[vincent]

Just saw that after posting. Thanks. Have now realised I have lots of questions I should have asked a long time before now. 2 more sleeps

 

[pollensa]

Just saw that after posting. Thanks. Have now realised I have lots of questions I should have asked a long time before now. 2 more sleeps

Plenty of time to book wifi rental & ask questions (about anything - PP related of course ) - ask away!

 

[Mark]

Was just wondering. I arrive in PP in 3 days and whilst there I would like to be able to use my mobile phone for internet. My carrier 3 has the usual high charges when roaming abroad.

You can add a ' Euro internet Pass' on your 3 account, not sure how you actually add it.
It is £5 per day according to this link:
About roaming & international charges - Roaming & international - Support - Three

Is there an alternative such as buying a local network SIM etc

You could buy a local sim such as Vodafone or Movistar but your phone would need to be unlocked, easy to do online with most phones for a small charge or 3 might do it for a fee. google for ' unlock' and your phone model and check any website out thoroughly before paying.
You would also need to enter some settings in your phone so it knows where to connect to with the foreign sim as it will be set to log in to 3 network.

or should I just use wifi in the restaurant's/bars?
Thanks

Free Wifi is OK as long as you are careful and know the risks, it is fairly easy for criminals to capture passwords and take control of you bank or paypal or email account etc.
The chances are fairly slim in sleepy pollensa so not too much of a worry.

A old youtube video that gives a clue, more modern devices are available.
Hak5 - WiFi Pineapple Mark II - YouTube
(if the video is not appropriate here then moderator please delete it )

The rental of the mi-fi type device looks OK

 

[El Gordo]

Thanks Mark

The HAK5 video is a good reminder for us to be careful where we gain a connection.

 

[vincent]

With the Euro Internet pass on the 3 account they send you a text message automatically when you arrive as long as you have roaming enabled offering you the pass at £5 per day. If you pay for it one day, you get a further message when it is about to run out each time to offer you it again.

 

[whaleywanderer]

My mobile is with O2, I had a text from them yesterday ..........

'From July we're changing the way you can use your mobile for data in Europe. You'll pay no more than £1.99 for a day of data. For more info (including standard tariff alternative), visit http:/go.o2.co.uk'

This could well be the start of a new trend for mobile providers to offer packages of data for use in Europe. It's a step in the right direction anyway.

 

[Sparky]

I had a similar txt from Movistar .

 

[Mark]

T mobile have also been doing the Euro booster things for a while.

They are valid for 30 days or when the data is used up so are a low cost option to using a smartphone or ipad with sim abroad etc.

Mobile Broadband abroad on Your Laptop - Mobile Broadband abroad

starting from £1 although that would not last long

The 50MB for £10 should last light users for a holiday.
Just keep off youtube etc and if using a computer turn off windows updates anti virus updates etc while away.

The last thing you want is to boot up the laptop and it then automatically downloads something huge from Microsoft and uses the credit up before you even do anything...

 

[its cd]

Be careful with the 3 option if you are on 'the one plan' and used to being able to turn your phone into a mifi via the free tethering
The £5 for Europe does not allow you to tether ..... So if there are several of you in your party you may be better off with the Mifi option

 

[pollensa]

Orange also now offer a Euro data option (30 mb) for £3 a day. This is fine for checking emails etc. & simple browsing but if you go over the 30 Mb the £40 cap will have been lifted & you are then charged per Mb (about £3 per Mb I think). There's also an article on T-mobile/Virgin Mobile here http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/jun/18/tmobile-data-roaming-charges

As CD says all of these options are fine (& so much cheaper this summer!) if one of you just wants to use your phone but if there are a group of you the wifi rental (mifi) option works out at 4.85 eur a day (with our 15% discount) & you get 1 GB i.e. about 140 mb a day (if I've got my Mb & GB right!). If you go over the allowance the speed drops but you are not charged any more.

 

[vincent]

Here now, have just got the Three Euro pass for today. Lazy coz I'm on
my hols. What's a £5 in the grand scheme anyway ;-)

 

[Keswick1uk]

Holiday booked and paid for - now for the important sundries!

Mobile wifi - are any of the companies mentioned on this thread and forum still offering a discount code (for booking sometime soon to be used on our August 2013 holiday)?

Ta