Mobile Internet in Croatia?
 

Hello,

What would be the best solution for internet access in Croatia? I know of VIP (Vodafone) offering VIPme Broadband, which allow access for 1 HRK/MByte, or packages of 250 and 500 MByte for 150 HRK and 200 HRK respectively. ( VIPonline )

Any other offering from any provider?

Also, what is the (HSxPA / EDGE) coverage like?

I know of T-Mobile's "simpa internet" (T-Mobile Croatia :: Private subscribers :: Simpa Internet), which costs 1 kuna per MB, too.
You can compare coverage at GSM Coverage Maps | Croatia

I bought yesterday in a T-Mobile SHOP a 198 KUNE "Simpa Internet Start Paket"
Hsdpa internet key and 100 mb of traffic included.

You can find it in english on T-Mobile Croatia :: Private subscribers :: Simpa Internet

You have only to insert the key into the usb port and in 2 minutes you are ready to go with first 100 MB.
To add credit you have to buy a t-mobile voucher in any shop.

I was in center of Rijeka and worked fine.

Thanks for the hint, I will compare this T-Mobile offer with the VIP one.

That's interesting. I was in Croatia too in these days, I didn't know about this offer. Which usb modem is? I mean, which brand and model? Is it sim-locked? Does it support HSUPA?
Hvala! :)

The usb Modem is: Option GIO 225 GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA 7.2 USB
Home | Option, Ready to go with my XP (drivers included in the stick)
I bought it in a Tmobile shop for 198 Kuna last week (100 kuna - 100 MB included)
The modem is Operator lock. ;)

Thanks for the info. I think I'll have to go back to Croatia for vacation once again! :D

Mobile Internet in Croatia
 

Hello all

I've noticed your interest in mobile internet offer in Croatia, probably by all of you who already visited or will be visiting Adriatic coast during summer holiday season.

Information provided in previous posts is mostly correct but I felt it needed a bit more structure and detail to make it one-stop-post for all your needs. Here we go...please note current exchange rate 1 Euro=7.30 Kuna.

Currently there are three providers of prepaid mobile (broadband) internet in Croatia (suprisingly, given its size and population - 4.5M inhabitants).

1. T-Mobile Croatia, current offerings available at T-Mobile Croatia :: Simpa Internet

T-Mo offers 'Simpa Internet' bundle consisting of Option Icon 225 7.2Mb HSDPA USB stick (locked to network, Globetrotter Connect software included), a SIM data card, 100 Kuna balance for 198 Kuna. T-Mobile charges 1 Kuna for 1Mb of data. Topups are available everywhere (T-Mo shops, kiosks, street vendors, supermarkets), ranging from 50 to 200 Kuna, while the bundle mostly at their shops. SIM cards are sold separately, costing 100 Kuna (100Mb included). SIM card/balance validity is 12 months. Coverage is good, urban areas provide real HSDPA/UMTS speeds while on islands and in rural areas you will get Edge/GPRS. For those using their own data cards APN is web.htgprs, dialing number *99#

2. Vipnet (Vodafone) Croatia, VIPonline

Vipnet is offering 'Vipme Broadband' package for 191 Kuna. It consists of Huawei E160X 3.6Mb HSDPA USB stick (locked), a data SIM and 100 Kuna balance. VMC software is in the bundle but I advise you against it, use Huawei's generic Mobile Partner instead - it's light, simple and user-friendly. 1Mb of data traffic is costing you 1 Kuna. Topups available from everywhere, coverage is better than T-Mo in rural areas (such as big or small islands) so if you plan to go sailing take Vipme Broadband. APN is data.vip.hr, *99# dialing sequence.

3. Tele2 Croatia, Tele2 Hrvatska - Mobilni internet na bonove (blimey, no english version!)

Swedish low-cost outfit is lately aggressive in promoting their own offering. The bundle is made of a Huawei E180 USB stick, 7.2Mb HSDPA USB stick and a data SIM with 394 Kuna in balance. The bundle is being sold for 395 Kuna (!?) so it looks like you get E180 for 1 Kuna, not bad at all. 1Mb of data transferred will cost you 0,70 Kuna, 0,40 Kuna if you additionally topup with 100+ Kuna (much cheaper than T-Mo/Vipnet). I don't know about the coverage but they made a deal with T-Mo for national roaming, which in theory is sounding great but who knows if T-Mo is throttling Tele2 roaming traffic. I'm not sure about the SIM validity, reckon 12 months. Topups are again sold everywhere, no problem about that. APN is mobileinternet.tele2.hr.

What offering would be best for you? I live there and use T-mo's Option 225 (unlocked for 15 Euro by the Baltic craftmen at Dc-unlocker | iCON 431,Merlin X950D , GT Express 7.2) with a Vipnet SIM and I'm happy with it. If you are going to stay in bigger cities than Tele2 or T-Mo are equally good. Tele2 offers lower cost, plus you get Huawei E180 virtually for free. Vipnet is good for those going into the wild, off the beaten path, as their coverage is the most extensive one. Nuff said!

Dear Dilijasi,

Thank you for giving us this nice overview.

I have exchanged e-mails with VIP and they confirmed I should expect good HSDPA coverage at the hotel. Upon arrival I will first check signals on my phone, then purchase a SIM-only pack.

The VIPme offer where you can buy data packs of 250 and 500 MB looks good. I do not know if eventually I will find it easy to get a VIPme Broadband SIM with a 250 or 500 MB pack, but lets's hope so.

Do you know what top-up amounts are available for VIPme? So what is the amount I actually need to pay on purchase?

By the way, I already have a VipMe SIM with quite some credit on. Is it possible to have a data option activated on that card with acceptable rates?

My Croatian is rather limited. Does this website say that the 394 kn is not made available immediately, but over a certain period of time?

They write: "Iznos od 394 kn na Tele2 računu raspodijeljen je na sljedeći način: 100 kn odmah pri aktivaciji, 50 kn sljedećih 5 mjeseci, te zadnji mjesec 44 kn, uz obaveznu mjesečnu nadoplatu bonom od minimalno 50 kn. "