# Broadband for medium-term stay



## MovingtoSpain (May 6, 2009)

Hello there
After the stormingly good help I received regarding returning a laptop, I wanted to ask a specific broadband question. I have done a search but was slightly overwhelmed - so do please feel free to point me towards a relevant thread if I am repeating previous questions.

We're in Barcelona for one year, possibly longer - moved into a rented 11 month apartment mid-June (though I am pretty sure landlady will extend if we want her to). Apparently there used to be a Telefonica line here though I can't see where - anyway, it's not currently connected.

I really do need ADSL if possible for my work, but I have also heard and read all the horror stories about good ol' Telefonica, not to mention the likely costs involved: also, if we’re here less than a year, it seems likely that the start up cost will be high for a shortish tenancy… so, do I have an alternative? We have got a Yoigo prepay dongle but it has a 100MB limit daily and also doesn’t seem awfully happy when used across a couple of computers, probably wasn’t designed for that. Oh, and of course, we have a bank account but no credit history here so contract dongle is not possible yet. As I am self-employed, it may not be for a very long time…

I did follow the link about line-of-sight wireless but as we’re living in an historic building where you can’t even hang washing, it’s probably a no-no. Someone mentioned Jazz-tel but the info on their site is beyond my still rather limited Spanish (I am learning but am still at the ‘Juan es rubio/Donde esta el bar?’ stage).

So my questions are: do we need to bite the bullet with Telefonica, or is it worth trying to get a line and contract via another provider? And in either case, will the lack of credit history rule us out anyway, or might we get a contract as it’s a fixed line?

Thank you in advance,
Kate x


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## XTreme (May 17, 2008)

Telefonica! Forget anything else cos Telefonica own the line and will do everything possible _not_ to release it. I know from personal experience.


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## Suenneil (Feb 17, 2009)

MovingtoSpain said:


> Hello there
> After the stormingly good help I received regarding returning a laptop, I wanted to ask a specific broadband question. I have done a search but was slightly overwhelmed - so do please feel free to point me towards a relevant thread if I am repeating previous questions.
> 
> We're in Barcelona for one year, possibly longer - moved into a rented 11 month apartment mid-June (though I am pretty sure landlady will extend if we want her to). Apparently there used to be a Telefonica line here though I can't see where - anyway, it's not currently connected.
> ...


Hi Kate

My own experience - the dongly doogle whatever they are called are rubbish! we had one last year with vodaphone and it was worse than dial up!

Telefonica - we have had 3 telephone lines (different houses) in the past 5years and I have to be honest and say we havent had any problems. In fact I commented on here last year that we moved to Estepona and wanted telephone/ADSL phoned telephonica (In English cos my Spanish is pathetic!) and within 48 hours we had a phone line ...... but got out internet service from Organe who charge us 43 euros a month for 20mb (??) and this includes the 13 off euros line rental for the telefonica line which Organge pay...

Setting up a phone line and internet on a 12 month contract should be straightforward enough.

So my most recent experience of good old Telefonica has been 100% positive.



Sue


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I hate telefonica with a passion, but if you´re only here for a year just go with it!! Life is too short to even try to escape them!!! They´re not so bad if you watch them carefully and possibly find someone Spanish speaking and tough to negotiate on your behalf. Possibly your landlady or agent??

Jo xx


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## Suenneil (Feb 17, 2009)

jojo said:


> I hate telefonica with a passion, but if you´re only here for a year just go with it!! Life is too short to even try to escape them!!! They´re not so bad if you watch them carefully and possibly find someone Spanish speaking and tough to negotiate on your behalf. Possibly your landlady or agent??
> 
> Jo xx


They have a specific number for Telefonia / English if you dont speak Spanish well enough - and they were genuinely very helpful. There was a time when they used ti hang up if they got bored with you, or didnt want to answer a question .... but honestly I think they have improved ..... they have to!! they are realising they dont get it all their own way! there ADSL is coming down in price finally! ... but its still higher than the others - and way higher anyway than what you pay in the UK ...


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Suenneil said:


> They have a specific number for Telefonia / English if you dont speak Spanish well enough - and they were genuinely very helpful. There was a time when they used ti hang up if they got bored with you, or didnt want to answer a question .... but honestly I think they have improved ..... they have to!! they are realising they dont get it all their own way! there ADSL is coming down in price finally! ... but its still higher than the others - and way higher anyway than what you pay in the UK ...


I havent even tried in the last 3 months. I did get through once to a fluent english speaker who was helpful and I finally got the discounts that I was entitled to, up till then I was paying full wack for every service. I also then managed to get my bill on line!! The one thing they cant manage to do, no matter how many times or ways I´ve tried is to get my address right. They have it down as an empty house in the next village and that receives my bills and correspondance and theres nothing I can do about it!!!! I´ve tried everything!

Jo xx


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## MovingtoSpain (May 6, 2009)

Thank you - after reading your messages, I rang 1004 and spoke to a helpful woman who offered me a decent deal - I am sure I could get a better one if I were Spanish, but it didn't seem too outrageous, or even that much more than UK. 

Obviously my expectations in terms of connection time etc aren't all that high, but I might be surprised, let's see, eh?
xx


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

They are a national disgrace and their president is the anti-christ but you have precious little option in your situation.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

MovingtoSpain said:


> Thank you - after reading your messages, I rang 1004 and spoke to a helpful woman who offered me a decent deal - I am sure I could get a better one if I were Spanish, but it didn't seem too outrageous, or even that much more than UK.
> 
> Obviously my expectations in terms of connection time etc aren't all that high, but I might be surprised, let's see, eh?
> xx


You maybe one of the lucky ones!!! It took us just under a year to get "the deal" we signed up for

The man came to connect us up cos they couldnt do it from the "exchange"after 10 days... and found out our line had been cut in the underground box and because the box door was broken he wouldnt repair it (they have health and safety when they want it!!). He told us we´d have to go to the ayuntamiento who would repair the door and then he´d do it!! That was gonna take months, so my friend and I went down into this underground "place", rats, cockroaches, creepycrawlies, dark... groped around and found the broken wires and stuck em back together with masking tape!!

It worked after that, but then telefonica lost our details and so cut us off!! We managed to get reconnected, but they didnt give us our "deal" and the address was wrong!! Just before christmas, we finally got our deal, but as for the address.......AAAAGGGHH!!!

Jo xx


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## MovingtoSpain (May 6, 2009)

Just to let you know - amazingly, after placing my phone line and broadband order on Thursday, we got a phone call yesterday from Telefonica, their engineer was here on the dot of 10 this morning, and now we have brilliantly fast wireless and a phone line. Less than 48 hours...

OK, I am waiting for the bill for three times what I expected etc, but credit where credit is due...


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## Suenneil (Feb 17, 2009)

MovingtoSpain said:


> Just to let you know - amazingly, after placing my phone line and broadband order on Thursday, we got a phone call yesterday from Telefonica, their engineer was here on the dot of 10 this morning, and now we have brilliantly fast wireless and a phone line. Less than 48 hours...
> 
> OK, I am waiting for the bill for three times what I expected etc, but credit where credit is due...


Good luck! like I said earlier our recent experience with them was really really good and very efficient (I dont want to say that too loudly in case God strikes me down and telefonica cut me off! lol)

Sue


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## keiths (Jul 27, 2009)

Suenneil said:


> Good luck! like I said earlier our recent experience with them was really really good and very efficient (I dont want to say that too loudly in case God strikes me down and telefonica cut me off! lol)
> 
> Sue


I live out in the campo so have no phone line but I get excellent internet connection through Wireless internet Costa del Sol which uses line of sight technology. They're a very honest company who tell you straight which is the best option for you.


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