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4 months studying in Spain- what's the best sim deal for texting mainly?

Aug 17, 2011 · mikezoe65 · 7 replies · 7527 views
Read-only legacy forum thread. Sign-in, registration, and replies are retired.
Off to Spain shortly to study and need to find the best deal sim-only to use while there in my iphone4 unlocked. PAYG sims cost c 30c/txt on Movistar which is bloody awful compared with UK texting at 12p. (Am aware of texting via Viber -the web-based method with other smartphone users) Can anyone suggest a cheaper route for a heavy texter?
Aug 17, 2011 · jurdyr
PAYG is not cheap for calls Data and texts , if you got Vodafhone in uk get "passport asnd cost the same as uk texting in spain , here a thread with all the GSM companys in spain , why we dont put up there tarifes is thay change wek two week , http://www.spainexpat.com/spain/forum/viewthread/4115/

but here the list again
1 Movistar GSM
2 Vodafone GSM
3 Orange GSM France T?l?com
4 Yoigo TeliaSonera
5 Simyo GSM KPN
6 Euskaltel Euskaltel
and look here aswell

1 Movistar GSM
UMTS, HSDPA 24.123 [80] (September 2010) Telef?nica
2 Vodafone GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+ 16.745 [81] (Mar 2010) Vodafone
3 Orange GSM
UMTS, HSDPA 11.552 [82] (March 2010) France T?l?com (81.6%)
4 Yoigo UMTS, HSDPA (Roaming on Movistar where it's network doesn't reach) 2.283 (Dec 2010)[83] TeliaSonera (76.6%)
Mobile Virtual Network Operators
5 Simyo (via Orange) GSM
UMTS not available KPN
6 Euskaltel (via Vodafone) GSM
UMTS 0.2 (December 2009) Euskaltel
7 Lebara Mobile
(using Vodafone) GSM ... Lebara Group
8 Digi.Mobil
(using Movistar) GSM
UMTS ... RCS&RDS;
9 Pepephone
(using Vodafone) GSM 0.1 (May 2010) Globalia group
10 Carrefour Mobile
(using Orange) GSM N/A Carrefour
11 BT Mobile
(using Vodafone) GSM
UMTS N/A BT Group
12 ONO M?vil
(using Movistar) GSM
UMTS N/A ONO (Spain)
13 m?bilR
(using Vodafone) GSM
UMTS, HSDPA 0.08 R Cable y Telecomunicaciones
14 Telecor
(using Movistar) GSM
UMTS N/A El Corte Ingl?s
15 M?Smovil
(Using Orange) GSM
UMTS
HSDPA N/A M?s M?vil Telecom
16 TeleCable[84]
(using Vodafone) GSM
UMTS, HSDPA 03.07 TeleCable

if your bill pay it cheapper then topup
Sep 7, 2011 · billibuoy
From Andalucia-first post here -- I have used SIMYO on PAYG for two years now text data and calls are cheap. .
Telefonica screwed my commsworld and finances up so I had their equipment taken out and after checking lots of Forums - gave Simyo a try. I rate it very good and as cheap as anything else within reason.
I use a zoom unlocked USB dongle ( ebuyer in the uk) and also have had occasion to take the sim out and put it in my unlocked blackberry for texting and phoning. Price- I go on the net every day whilst in spain ( Guadix/benalua)for 5 months per year and average cost is less than 20 Euro/month. The price /mb or txts is up front on the simyo.es website as is the coverage maps. I bought mine over the net with a spanish debit card - search other expat forums for pros & cons .
I monitor and top up online. Only prob I had was when I didnt top up for 6 months and got blocked until I used the local free Guadalinfo to get online & top up.
For tourist- Simyo are quite specific in saying that if you dont like them you can talk with your feet - and that includes their contract rates - leave anytme .
My chum in Gorafe has excellent Vodaphone (unlimited) on Contract at about 40 Euro/month- Simyo also do a good contract price.
For dongle newbies- I found all the dongles I have used in the UK and spain have had self- extracting software that worked perfectly - only prob I have had was when I unlocked a friends uk supplied three dongle to use with simyo and had to download generic software to run it.( forgotton what it was now). Hope I havent transgressed any forum protocols by including extra info under this specific topic.
Sep 9, 2011 · maverick_spain
My mum just signed up for service with 2020tel who provide messaging app on their phones with Unlimited messages as part of package for 14 Euros - but 18 month contract so dont know if will suit. She got HTC Wildfire Smarthphone for 49 euros i think it was which is pretty good
Sep 25, 2011 · ROB1305
I SMS from Skype cheaper than my orange phone............(unless of course using free comp-comp Skype)
Nov 23, 2011 · thebigboss
hi. Weve been here 2 and half years and we kept a UK sim card as its a damn sight cheaper than a spanish mobile to text the UK with a UK mobile, even with roaming charges.
Dec 1, 2011 · CalpeVillas
Lebara are usually one of the cheapest, as has been mentioned earlier in the thread. Also I swear by "Hits" which is part of a T.V/Internet/Phone Company, they are based in Moraira further north from Benidorm there website is:-

telitec.com WEBSITE EDITED DUE TWO RULES > JURDY
Hope this helps!

Sorry about the link, I am new here and in no way affiliated with the aforementioned company