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Rechargeable tethering in Italy

Posted by (San Francisco, CA, USA) on

I'll be traveling in Italy over the next few weeks and need to make sure I have consistent 4G-level connectivity. I'm willing to pay for the data I use and carry multiple SIMs, but I want to make sure:

  • I can use tethering (sources conflict, but some plans seem to prohibit tethering)
  • I have 4G/4G+ connectivity as consistently as possible (for example, only Vodafone seems to have decent coverage on Ischia).
  • I can "recharge" my data when I run out rather than paying huge overage charges (for example, Vodafone seems to charge 2 euros/200MB once you go over the initial cap)

So, if you were visiting Trieste-Ravenna-Urbino-Assisi-Roma-Ischia and needed solid, rechargeable 4G/4G+ tethering, what carrier(s) and plan(s) SIM(s) would you carry?

Thank you for your help!

Posted by
32405 posts

Every,

What you need may be difficult to achieve, as not all areas that you'll be travelling in may have 4G service, and that may depend on which network you choose. Some networks may have 4G in some areas but not others. The prospect of having to change SIM cards to suit 4G availability each time one changes location would be a darn nuisance!

Unfortunately I can't answer the question as I'd have to spend quite some time researching the 4G coverage offered by the various cell networks in Italy. I'd also have to research which ones may allow or prohibit tethering.

Posted by
34336 posts

Are you aware that the definition of 4G in Europe is considerably different to the definitions in USA and Korea?

I have never heard of 4G+ in Europe.

How big a pipe do you need most of the time? How much bandwidth and how fast?

I live in 3G land and when I am in Italy I am lucky to get that most of the time.

Many plans will let you tether at 3G, but not at 4G, or only for a small number of GB per month.

Posted by
11294 posts

If you want to find some real techies who would know the answers to your questions, post on the Italy Forum of Prepaid GSM: http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=31638d6b422eccd356499b88e270750d&f=32

While you're waiting for answers, you can also go to their Italy page and follow the links to each provider's page (you will probably need Google Translate): http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/italy.php

Just looking at that second page, I see Italy does have 4G LTE. You can then follow the links to see each provider's coverage map, and check your phone's specs against the Italian 4G LTE frequencies.

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