Broadband4Spain?

[IreneD]

Hi everyone

Can anyone recommend this company - I think it's called Broadband4Spain - we saw it advertised in the little free magazine, Sentinella, last time we were in Spain.

We will be coming over to our house in Canillas de Aceituno for a week in January, which is in the Axarquia region, and want to get ourselves set up with t.v. and internet. (We move over permanently May/June 2009) This company have an office in Competa, which is quite near us, so we will go and have a chat with them, but I was wondering if anyone has had dealings with them. I believe they use some sort of box thingy rather than a land line to connect up to the internet. (You can tell I'm not very technically minded!)

Thanks in advance

Irene

[casita-bonita]

Hi

We've used Broadband4Spain for around 12 months now for connection to our home in the hills above Sayalonga. In fact we get better download speeds there than we do with our ADSL connection here in Basingstoke.

From day one we have had no problems at all and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

Disclaimer, well you have to don't you. I have no connection with the company other than being a satisfied customer.

[Jennifer]

Hi,
Broadband4spain
So what's the set up ? a wireless connection to ISP, what real speeds do you get ?

Google "Broadband4spain" and have a read

to get a handle on the technology


http://www.wdsl.net/faq.html

Our Supplier:
Here we have wireless connection, 512kps (if anyone read my original number) that's generally ok except when the weather closes in.
Its 20e a month after initial installation of 232e, we have had it two years now and is used daily for support work. Only giving my example a guide to what is available.

J

[casita-bonita]

It's a Wireless DSL connection. So we have a pizza box aerial on the outside of the house pointing to a base station some way yonder in the mountains.

They have various service offerings but we have the vanilla 2Mb connection. Which is more than adequate for the use we make of it, that being mainly email, voip, browsing. Not being a big downloader of huge files 2Mb is more than adequate. Reliability is what I need and it has so far proved to be pretty much always available. It has lost connection a couple of times when there was really thick cloud surrounding us such that we could barely see the end of pool let alone the distant mountains. I have to put in the caveat there that so far it has been our holiday home and we haven't been there constantly. We plan to move in full time next may so I guess you could say the real test will begin then.

[IreneD]

Thank you very much, Bob and Frances, that's really helpful to know you are pleased with the service. How do the costs work out, if you don't mind me asking, as we also won't be using it much till we move over next year. Do they take long to install? I wonder if I should contact them now and make an appointment for installation for our January visit. We are over again at the end of Feb. though, so maybe we will just set the ball in motion in January...... (thinking aloud there! Lol!)

Jennifer, thanks also for your thoughts, I will have a look at those links, although must admit my eyes start to glaze over when reading about megabytes and suchlike! Lol!

Irene (and Bob!)

[casita-bonita]

It's 39 euros a month and the installation was free. Looking at the website they now also provide a wireless router which they didn't when we had our install carried out.

We pre-arranged the install as they have to do an initial survey to check that you have line of sight to a base station. In fact we gave them 3 months notice because they had a special offer which we could take advantage of before it expired. They came the day that they said they would for both the survey and the actual install. We weren't around at the time so the folks who look after our villa while we aren't there babysat the installation.

Over the past year we have been over at least once a month so left the service activated ready for when we arrive. At the moment we have it turned off as we are not going over again until march, saving us 120 euros, which can't be bad. All being well it should be turned back on prior to our arrival for a month long stay in preparation for our full time move in May.

[Jennifer]

Hi,
Looks to be a good deal, pity that they don't operate up this way.
On paper your speed is 4x mine and only twice the monthly rate.
I like the fact you can have it turned off when you're away.
With the phone deal you could even keep out of Telefonic's clutches
I'm being a bit harsh here, from ordering a landline on-line,to picking up the phone was 10 days...yes that's right...even with them having to put up a pole.

J

[casita-bonita]

Originally our villa had a telefonica radio phone installed, which I think was 40 euros a month plus calls. We had that removed when we purchased and shortly afterward had the broadband connected. Same price and far more useful to us especially given that you can do good quality voice over broadband these these days. Add in the low call costs from the likes of Skype or Vonage and it's cheaper alternative to a standard phone

[IreneD]

Oh, thank you so much, Frances and Bob! Brilliant, useful information and I will also go on their website and make initial enquiries, it sounds just right for our needs, fingers crossed we have line of sight to a base station.

Irene

[IreneD]

Well, we have finally got ourselves connected up, also with Freesat t.v. Broadband4Spain and Accurate Direct Solutions for the t.v. The same engineers did both for us a couple of days ago, and it's all good! The companies seem to work together, not sure exactly what the connection is, but Julie at B4S recommended Accurate Direct Solutions when I asked her about getting t.v. The guys did a great job siting the equipment and we are really pleased.

It's dull and cloudy today, so I am pleased to have something to keep me occupied - been zipping around on various websites - lovely fast connection.

[casita-bonita]

Pleased that it's all working for you. Sadly we haven't been over since November. But yesterday I finished work forever and we are heading over on the ferry in early March. So broadband will be reconnected and since we will now be in Spain full time it'll get much heavier use.

As a bonus we had an email from B4S a couple of weeks ago with news of a price reduction. Down to 29 euros per month from 39 euros. Can't be bad.

[IreneD]

That IS good! We don't pay anything for 6 months, hopefully we'll be on that rate as well once we start to pay. We paid 234 euros for the connection, including free wireless router and nothing to pay for 6 months.

I hope you'll be really happy in Spain, and wish you all the best, Bob and Frances. An exciting time for you!

[spanish_lad]

we currently pay 45€ / month for 6mb broadband. isthere a comparable non telefonica provider ?