Mobile Internet with prepaid... finally yes!

Tech, TV, Mobile, Internet and Geek Corner
61
Nice! I think sunrise also offers microsim, but only for take-away?

62
I am using Swisscom Natal Easy Befree: unlimited internet for CHF 4 per day (that you use it). It works really well, my average download speed is 3mbps, upload 0.5mbps.

Swisscom pricing doesn't make sense. This seems to be a mobile phone package (but works fine in my MiFi modem), while their mobile broadband deals are more expense and/or have data limitations.

The Sunrise deal is slightly better priced (or at least it was in September) as that would have costed CHF 3.50 per day. But that wasn't really an option as they only have GPRS/EDGE around here.

63
Just to clarify my above post. I am using this to have Internet in a holiday home. So it is just for a couple of weeks per year, which makes CHF 4 per day a much better option than anything with a fixed subscription. Also, any data limit won't work, as I easily use 1GB per day (nice feature of MiFi is that all phones / laptops / iPads share the same connection).

64
20min has a nice data offer for prepaid : http://www.20min.ch/mobile/abos_und_...ebersicht.tmpl

Summary:

Data option: 300 MB/month for 10 CHF (after 300MB you pay 1 CHF per MB until the end of the month)

Voice: 0.20 CHF + 0.20 CHF/minute

The voice tariff is acceptable (better than 0.45 CHF/minute of Sunrise prepaid, at least )

For the Dataflatrate option (unlimited surfing, bandwidth limited once you go over 2 GB/month), you need an "Abo to go" subscription. So this would be 20 CHF/month (Dataflatrate) + 10 CHF/month (Abo to go) = 30 CHF/month. Same tariff for voice.

65
BTW, I had a look at the "Mobilfunk-Angebot von 20 Minuten" flyer I found at the Post that got my attention and led me to finding about the 20min offer. It sais:

"0.20 CHF/minute in all of Switzerland" - this is false, it's 0.20 + 0.20/minute.

"Data Flatrate: unlimited surfing for only 20 CHF/month" - this is also false, you need a subscription which is at least 10 CHF/month.

BTW2, the smallest (10 CHF/month) subscription gives you no credit and the tariff for voice is the same as for prepaid. It's a bit ridiculous, it's clearly targeted at people who want unlimited data, IMO. I'm ignoring the fact that it allows you to surf 20minuten.ch freely.

66
After quite a lot of research for my first temporary card, prepaid with data, seems that I am going for 20min. I'll let you guys know how it works.

67
Please let us know. I will rep you if you give us a review. CK

68
Lebara mobile also has this option now. 120 mb for 5chfs, 0.10 per mb after that. Of course roaming charges are probably insane with any of these packages, so be careful.

69
I would recommend Lebara: as low as 8 cents to call other countries; get 50 CHF for free if you charge 100 CHF.

70
I bought the 20min SIM today and it's working great so far. Signal is similar to my girlfriend's, who uses Orange, and it seems 20min uses Sunrise networks. Activation of the data plan was relatively easy, although I did not find a way to do it from the phone. I had to register on the website (which is not available in English) to do it from there. It took some 5 minutes to receive an SMS saying that the data plan was activated and I started using it from that moment without a problem yet.

I'll post here if something goes wrong with it.

71
Hi, the number of plans mentioned here is making my head spin.

I will be in Zurich for 1 week. I would like to get a prepaid SIM card that

has voice and data. I'll only be using the internet to check train schedules

and use google maps when I go around town. Maybe an occasional phone

call. Very light use.

Which company offers the best PREPAID voice + internet deal for somebody

like me who will be there for only a week?

Thanks,

DavidSJC

72
In your case, I'd say Lebara as it gives you 120mb for some 5 CHF (and you should not be using more if you only come once a week). The calls seem to have similar costs locally, although Lebara is much cheaper when calling international. I don't know how their network is, though.

73
I just sent 20min a message, I'm very upset, they basically stole 20 CHF (of credit) from me. A short description of what happened:

"I initially thought the Data Option, once activated, remains active. I see that this is not true. I'm fine with this. I can manually activate it each month if it's really needed. When the Data Option ends, you should send an SMS to inform the customer about this. I do not remember receiving such a message.

I'm very upset about the fact that 30 CHF of credit "disappeared" because I missed to reactivate the Data Option. I think I'm right in saying that you are stealing from your customers. If a customer has a device which uses the data connection, and the Data Option ended, and during the next few days the cost for data acess is > 10 CHF, you should *automatically* activate the 10 CHF Data Option. But no, you instead let the customer pay as much as possible."

I'm really surprised that they are not more careful with their customers. I mean, a lot of phones nowadays are hungry for data.. I'll post their reply. I told them I would be very happy if they can reactivate the Data Option retroactively, and give me back my 20 CHF credit. Even so, this experience is very unpleasant.

74
Some more ranting.. I activate my Data Option on 2011.01.05, and on 2011.02.05, one month later, I checked the 20min website (Mein Konto..) and it listed the Data Option as "active". No mention when it ends, no mention when it started.. Crappy javascript website.

75
Right, so basically with 20min if you buy a Data Option, after one month you have to be very careful to temporarily suspend the data usage of your phone until you *manually* activate another Data Option, because apparently it cannot activate itself automatically, and you risk to lose all your credit because they have 1 CHF/MB!

You do not get any message to remind you that the Data Option will soon end, and the website does not show this information (it does show when you bought a Data Option, though).

I don't know how this works with other companies providing Data Options for PrePay SIMs, but the 20min (sunrise?) system is not very friendly. I told them what's wrong and gave them suggestions. I hope they'll make some changes.

I'll continue to use them, for me it worths, and I don't want a subscription.

It's a pity that they have these usability problems, their offer could be much more.

76
Hi guys

Newbie here. Looks like I'll be moving to Switzerland at some point this year from New Zealand. I'm half swiss and will be living in Appenzell!

Data is very important to me as I want to keep in contact with all my friends over facebook and be able to upload photos of where I am, what I'm doing etc etc.

What would you guys recommend? I would like it to be fast and have good coverage around the Appenzell area including St. Gallen.

Lebara seems like a fairly decent option (especially with the cheap calling rates! I can call home for only 0.09 a minute! Thats cheaper than what I pay for calling in New Zealand itself!!) however, I am concerned about the coverage and the speed of the internet. I was hoping for something such as a HSDPA or 3G connection but being a new company I am not sure if it will have access to such speeds. Can anyone shed some light on this?

Thanks very much guys!

77
Some review on Lebara.

I was mainly going to use Lebara prepaid for the internet with once in a while calls.

The first problem is that Lebara charges you by the minute. Also, they stole 2.5 chf from me. If I login into my account and count the money I put in, the money I spent and the remaining balance, I end up 2.5 chf short. I did this because even though my surf was active (4.9 chf/month) I seemed to be losing money while surfing. I pointed this out to the customer care and they were not very helpful. They repeat the same lines. "You must have used up the credits". "We update the calls within 24 hours". Also, it seems impossible to find out how much data have you used on the GPRS. There is no information in "My pages" or anywhere else.

The connection is good. They use sunrise and I was quite happy. But it seems I will have to let this one go. I am very uncomfortable with backhanded charges.

I down vote lebara. I will move to sunrise prepaid with 250MB/7chf/month now. Let us see how that goes.

Regards,

-Ip

78
Also to consider is the Orange 3G internet package in their prepaid offer.

What you get is 100 mb a month but you don't get charged after you spend them, they just limit you to 64kb, which is fine for push mail and occasional browse. Their tariff is maximum 2 CHF for the day you use it. If you use it everyday to the max it's not good as it will be very slow and cost you 60 CHF a month, where as the subscription from Orange is 30 CHF for 1 gig of volume. But for the occasional surfing checking mail while traveling or waiting used not so often it's worth to check it. I will try it and see how it is.

79
Have read the masses of info here.....and still not sure what's best. Information overload! I am back in CH for the next 5 weeks and may need a portable connection for my laptop - NOT IPHONE - and wonder if anyone has a good recommendation for prepaid, definitely no contract. In the UK I get 1gb for 10.00 pounds a month which I am happy with. I have a dongle already so could just go for a SIM, if that is possible/feasible.

Something comparable to the above price here would be nice although I do know where I am!

Thanks!

80
Dear EF,

Update on prepaid mobile internet options would be great (or link to a sight that does keep onto of that sort of thing).

Wify is now thinking of a smart phone.. and asked about internet access from it. So that she can "Like mah status" while out and about.

CK