PrePaidGSM.net Forum (Archived) - View Single Post

sleepy · 10-09-2009, 19:48

Dear Petkow,
I totally agree with you concerning the fact that having mobile Internet access in Japan is expensive.
But it is not as difficult as it may seem. The PuPuRu service I mentioned works with no problems. Go to their site, fill up the form, get the package with what you need at the airport of arrival (or get it shipped where you want), use the stuff, send it back simply dropping the bag in any post box.
It is very easy, and coverage for data, if you stay on the main roads (but this is diminutive, since coverage is broader than this, though more limited than mobile service) is good and efficient.
You can check here the coverage. From my experience the map is accurate and does not tell you that you should be under coverage and you are not.
And you get unlimited data traffic, which is unusual. At least, you pay a lot, but you have no constraints in traffic. For example, in Italy only Vodafone (and only for postpaid if I am not wrong) offers unlimited traffic to private citizens. The cost is however fairly high, 45 Euro/month.
E-mobile, if you get it right (you should definitely start the 3 months at the beginning of a month) comes at 75 Euro/month. Not cheap, I admit, but I am ready to pay more when I am abroad. The problem is with roaming, where you do not pay twice or thrice respect home, but minimum tenfold. So, I agree that there are countries where you get much cheaper deals, but at least it is not impossible (and there are still countries where there is no way to get anything, reasonable price or not).
I did not try wifi and the likes, but mobile is undoubtedly more convenient, albeit more expensive (everywhere if you have access to land-line broadband and the likes, but then you are stuck to one place access).
In Japan many hotels, even cheap ones, especially business hotels, have wifi or even UTP complimentary Internet access, but if you change many places you never know what happens the next day and having a SIM (and unfortuantely with PuPuRu you must also take and pay their USB key) with data access you are much better off.
Other drawback with PuPuRu is that if you want data AND voice access you must get two SIMs because the data SIM cannot be use for voice. Prices for voice are however not very enticing, I admit.

I hope I made my point more clear. I do not know if there are cheaper services (things change quickly lately), but I found PuPuRu a good service, though I had to spend above average (but how was it i.e. in Germany for a foreigner not late than Winter 2008? Not so long time ago... No Simyo, no nothing. And Belgium? No BASE data access for foreigners... I can continue.) So, if data access is important and you are not going too much in the wild, I would close my eyes, shell out some hefty, but still bearable, bucks, enjoy the service and forget the cost.

Just my 0.04 cents...

Sleepy

	(#4)
sleepy (Offline) Member Official Member Posts: 34 Join Date: 30 Aug 2007 Country:	10-09-2009, 19:48 Dear Petkow, I totally agree with you concerning the fact that having mobile Internet access in Japan is expensive. But it is not as difficult as it may seem. The PuPuRu service I mentioned works with no problems. Go to their site, fill up the form, get the package with what you need at the airport of arrival (or get it shipped where you want), use the stuff, send it back simply dropping the bag in any post box. It is very easy, and coverage for data, if you stay on the main roads (but this is diminutive, since coverage is broader than this, though more limited than mobile service) is good and efficient. You can check here the coverage. From my experience the map is accurate and does not tell you that you should be under coverage and you are not. And you get unlimited data traffic, which is unusual. At least, you pay a lot, but you have no constraints in traffic. For example, in Italy only Vodafone (and only for postpaid if I am not wrong) offers unlimited traffic to private citizens. The cost is however fairly high, 45 Euro/month. E-mobile, if you get it right (you should definitely start the 3 months at the beginning of a month) comes at 75 Euro/month. Not cheap, I admit, but I am ready to pay more when I am abroad. The problem is with roaming, where you do not pay twice or thrice respect home, but minimum tenfold. So, I agree that there are countries where you get much cheaper deals, but at least it is not impossible (and there are still countries where there is no way to get anything, reasonable price or not). I did not try wifi and the likes, but mobile is undoubtedly more convenient, albeit more expensive (everywhere if you have access to land-line broadband and the likes, but then you are stuck to one place access). In Japan many hotels, even cheap ones, especially business hotels, have wifi or even UTP complimentary Internet access, but if you change many places you never know what happens the next day and having a SIM (and unfortuantely with PuPuRu you must also take and pay their USB key) with data access you are much better off. Other drawback with PuPuRu is that if you want data AND voice access you must get two SIMs because the data SIM cannot be use for voice. Prices for voice are however not very enticing, I admit. I hope I made my point more clear. I do not know if there are cheaper services (things change quickly lately), but I found PuPuRu a good service, though I had to spend above average (but how was it i.e. in Germany for a foreigner not late than Winter 2008? Not so long time ago... No Simyo, no nothing. And Belgium? No BASE data access for foreigners... I can continue.) So, if data access is important and you are not going too much in the wild, I would close my eyes, shell out some hefty, but still bearable, bucks, enjoy the service and forget the cost. Just my 0.04 cents... Sleepy