Prepaid in Sardinia and Southern Italy

myblogtrainer · **Prepaid in Sardinia and Southern Italy -** 14-09-2010, 18:19

Good overview. Can anybody tell me which network has the fastest upload and download speed in Southern Italy?
I'm especially interested in Wind's speed but if the others are better, I would use them.

Grampa · **Data in Sardinia -** 17-09-2010, 04:07

I have read the very helpful pieces here and in Effendi's guide (PrePaidGSM: Prepaid Data in Italy). I have some questions specific to Sardinia.

1. I'll be traveling to Sardinia beginning next week. I have only about an hour layover in Rome, so the my best opportunity to purchase a SIM card will probably be at Cagliari airport. Anybody know what network operators are represented there, and where they are located?

2. The coverage links above are a little hard to use. I will be driving throughout Sardinia, and particularly in the countryside outside of any cities and towns. Do any network operators stand out for especially good coverage, or especially bad?

This is only for data. I'm planning to use a MiFi device with a couple of iPhones and an iPad (no computer), mostly for browsing, map downloads, and perhaps some VoIP. I think 1GB ought to be plenty of data for two weeks in Sardinia and a week in Rome. I need 3G, but coverage is more important than speed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Effendi · 17-09-2010, 07:50

3G in rural Sardinia will be quite hard to be found... Probably TIM has more coverage (both 2G and 3G). Don't go with 3, that's sure. I'd choose TIM or Wind. They both have EDGE (TIM everywhere, Wind sometimes), while Vodafone has not.
If you don't find a shop at Cagliari airport you can find plenty of them in the town.

@ myblogtrainer: Southern Italy is big and the situation changes a lot from place to place. In Puglia Wind has the best coverage, in Sicily I think it's also very good (but not much 3G, I fear). BTW it changes too much from place to place. Also speed can vary a lot...

Grampa · 19-09-2010, 19:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Effendi

3G in rural Sardinia will be quite hard to be found... Probably TIM has more coverage (both 2G and 3G). Don't go with 3, that's sure. I'd choose TIM or Wind. They both have EDGE (TIM everywhere, Wind sometimes), while Vodafone has not.
If you don't find a shop at Cagliari airport you can find plenty of them in the town.

Thanks for the information.

I notice that in your sticky thread above, you list several time-billed TIM data offerings, but no offerings based on the volume of data. In your guide, PrePaidGSM: Prepaid Data in Italy, you list the volume-billed offerings Web 1 GIGA and Web 5 GIGA from CoopVoce (TIM). Is CoopVoce a virtual provider or is it part of TIM? Would these volume-billed plans be available in any TIM shop?

Also, we will be using a couple of (AT&T locked) iPhones and an iPad on a MiFi modem/router. I assume I would not be able to take advantage of any of the iPhone-specific plans, correct? The time-billed plans mostly have 15 minute billing increments. This would not be good for an iPhone, which accesses the internet in short, but frequent, bursts. Am I right, therefore, in looking primarily for volume-billed plans?

Finally, you probably know this, but your sticky thread above contains several typos: right under the headings, you have the note, "(they are not data plans; all options can be added to any 3 prepaid plan)" even for plans from providers other than 3.

Effendi · 20-09-2010, 08:28

For the iPhone there are specific options, but if yours are locked you cannot use an Italian sim-card.
CoopVoce is a virtual operator and you cannot find their offers at TIM shops. You can find them at bigger COOP supermarkets, but I fear it won't be available to non Italian residents (you need to be affiliated to the COOP). Noverca has a per KB billed option, but it's web-based only (or at San Paolo banks).

I'm going to correct the typos, thanks!

mingelli · 22-09-2010, 00:50

I think TIM would be the best option for coverage (3G and edge). One question how do you VOIP on the iPad since it has no microphone. Can you use a bluetooth earphone with mic and use a SIP software on iPad? I am looking to ruun VOIP on Ipad but coud not find yet a BT earphone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grampa

I have read the very helpful pieces here and in Effendi's guide (PrePaidGSM: Prepaid Data in Italy). I have some questions specific to Sardinia.

1. I'll be traveling to Sardinia beginning next week. I have only about an hour layover in Rome, so the my best opportunity to purchase a SIM card will probably be at Cagliari airport. Anybody know what network operators are represented there, and where they are located?

2. The coverage links above are a little hard to use. I will be driving throughout Sardinia, and particularly in the countryside outside of any cities and towns. Do any network operators stand out for especially good coverage, or especially bad?

This is only for data. I'm planning to use a MiFi device with a couple of iPhones and an iPad (no computer), mostly for browsing, map downloads, and perhaps some VoIP. I think 1GB ought to be plenty of data for two weeks in Sardinia and a week in Rome. I need 3G, but coverage is more important than speed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Grampa · 23-09-2010, 01:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by mingelli

I think TIM would be the best option for coverage (3G and edge). One question how do you VOIP on the iPad since it has no microphone. Can you use a bluetooth earphone with mic and use a SIP software on iPad? I am looking to ruun VOIP on Ipad but coud not find yet a BT earphone.

But the iPad has a microphone input, correct? It also has a stereo headphone jack, I believe. I don't know whether the mic input and the headphone input are combined. If so, couldn't you use a wired headphone/mic like the one that comes with the iPhone? I don't have an iPad, so I'm just speculating.

The only problem with TIM is that they don't have a data-billed plan, just a time-billed plan. Given that the iPhone accesses the internet frequently and each time counts as 15 minutes, I might go through the time allotment pretty quickly.

mingelli · 23-09-2010, 03:50

If you want to use the TIM sim in your iphone there is the option TIMx Smartphone at 2 euro a week, but if you intend to use the MiFi to connect multiple devices you have to use a time offer like Internet x40 or x 100 ore at 9euro or 19 euro a month.

Grampa · 29-09-2010, 18:20

I'm here in Sardinia, and the cards work great. I bought two basic TIM cards for my 2G phones and a 100 hour TIM card for the mifi device. We have two iPhones and an iPad. I have made several VoIP calls, which worked well even over 2G. These were calls to 800 numbers in the US, which can only be made from within the US (my VoIP provider is US based).

My only problem is that I can't get TIM's email-to-SMS gateway to work. I've tried 0n@timnet.com and n@timnet.com. Neither can be delivered. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

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	(#1)
myblogtrainer (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 3 Join Date: 14 Sep 2010 Country:	Prepaid in Sardinia and Southern Italy - 14-09-2010, 18:19 Good overview. Can anybody tell me which network has the fastest upload and download speed in Southern Italy? I'm especially interested in Wind's speed but if the others are better, I would use them.

	(#2)
Grampa (Offline) Member Advanced Member Posts: 97 Join Date: 01 Oct 2007 Country:	Data in Sardinia - 17-09-2010, 04:07 I have read the very helpful pieces here and in Effendi's guide (PrePaidGSM: Prepaid Data in Italy). I have some questions specific to Sardinia. 1. I'll be traveling to Sardinia beginning next week. I have only about an hour layover in Rome, so the my best opportunity to purchase a SIM card will probably be at Cagliari airport. Anybody know what network operators are represented there, and where they are located? 2. The coverage links above are a little hard to use. I will be driving throughout Sardinia, and particularly in the countryside outside of any cities and towns. Do any network operators stand out for especially good coverage, or especially bad? This is only for data. I'm planning to use a MiFi device with a couple of iPhones and an iPad (no computer), mostly for browsing, map downloads, and perhaps some VoIP. I think 1GB ought to be plenty of data for two weeks in Sardinia and a week in Rome. I need 3G, but coverage is more important than speed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

	(#3)
Effendi (Offline) The great Dictator! Prepaid Prophet Posts: 2,487 Join Date: 13 Jan 2004 Location: Trieste/Trst Country:	17-09-2010, 07:50 3G in rural Sardinia will be quite hard to be found... Probably TIM has more coverage (both 2G and 3G). Don't go with 3, that's sure. I'd choose TIM or Wind. They both have EDGE (TIM everywhere, Wind sometimes), while Vodafone has not. If you don't find a shop at Cagliari airport you can find plenty of them in the town. @ myblogtrainer: Southern Italy is big and the situation changes a lot from place to place. In Puglia Wind has the best coverage, in Sicily I think it's also very good (but not much 3G, I fear). BTW it changes too much from place to place. Also speed can vary a lot... Working Prepaids: IT: Wind, Vodafone IT, UNO Mobile; SM: Prima; UK: 3, Virgin; INT: TravelSIM, Truphone. Deceased Prepaids: CZ: Oskar, Eurotel; SK: Orange; DE: E-Plus, Aldi, Simyo; GE: Geocell; AM: Armentel; PL: Heyah, Plus; LT: Tele2; LV: Amigo; EE: Elisa; UA: Kyivstar; NZ: Vodafone; INT: UM, UM+, ICQSim. GSM/3G Phones: Nokia Lumia 630 dual sim

	(#5)
Effendi (Offline) The great Dictator! Prepaid Prophet Posts: 2,487 Join Date: 13 Jan 2004 Location: Trieste/Trst Country:	20-09-2010, 08:28 For the iPhone there are specific options, but if yours are locked you cannot use an Italian sim-card. CoopVoce is a virtual operator and you cannot find their offers at TIM shops. You can find them at bigger COOP supermarkets, but I fear it won't be available to non Italian residents (you need to be affiliated to the COOP). Noverca has a per KB billed option, but it's web-based only (or at San Paolo banks). I'm going to correct the typos, thanks! Working Prepaids: IT: Wind, Vodafone IT, UNO Mobile; SM: Prima; UK: 3, Virgin; INT: TravelSIM, Truphone. Deceased Prepaids: CZ: Oskar, Eurotel; SK: Orange; DE: E-Plus, Aldi, Simyo; GE: Geocell; AM: Armentel; PL: Heyah, Plus; LT: Tele2; LV: Amigo; EE: Elisa; UA: Kyivstar; NZ: Vodafone; INT: UM, UM+, ICQSim. GSM/3G Phones: Nokia Lumia 630 dual sim

	(#8)
mingelli (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Fan Posts: 149 Join Date: 22 Mar 2009 Location: Italy roaming on my yacht Country:	23-09-2010, 03:50 If you want to use the TIM sim in your iphone there is the option TIMx Smartphone at 2 euro a week, but if you intend to use the MiFi to connect multiple devices you have to use a time offer like Internet x40 or x 100 ore at 9euro or 19 euro a month.

	(#9)
Grampa (Offline) Member Advanced Member Posts: 97 Join Date: 01 Oct 2007 Country:	29-09-2010, 18:20 I'm here in Sardinia, and the cards work great. I bought two basic TIM cards for my 2G phones and a 100 hour TIM card for the mifi device. We have two iPhones and an iPad. I have made several VoIP calls, which worked well even over 2G. These were calls to 800 numbers in the US, which can only be made from within the US (my VoIP provider is US based). My only problem is that I can't get TIM's email-to-SMS gateway to work. I've tried 0n@timnet.com and n@timnet.com. Neither can be delivered. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?