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Great Britain....take your own wifi spot with you

I got a tip from a question I posted on this site, and it worked out great. I wanted to share my experience. I used a MiFi in London. I used a new service from mificlub.com. Basically, it allowed me to:
- connect to my own wifi (internet) spot anywhere I was...
-on a bus.....
-in my hotel
-on the street.

I used my iPod Touch to: call home via Skype, and watch my TV using slingbox. I also checked train times, the weather, sent and received email....bought tickets for plays while out and a bout....and even ran a bus app...which tracked exactly where I was whilst on the London buses....and then I used the TravelForLondon (TFL) site to get from place A to B....with a map. It was great to see where I was...I got a better picture of where I was.

I never used a cell phone, as this functioned as my primary device for calling the US. I could have paid a bit more for a Skype account, and used my iPod to call within the UK as well...I just didn't need to.

It was a great way to have internet and a phone (when paired with Skype)...and avoiding all the incredible charges you can get stuck with if using your US phone.

Up to 5 people can connect to this device...I only had me connecting.

It got a signal most of the time. I was in London and within an hour of London on side trips. One time, I was looking for the Oak Tree Elizabeth I was supposedly under when she became queen (Hatfield House), and got lost...I flicked on my iPod Touch and MiFi.....surfed the web....found a picture of what the newly planted tree looked like, and found it!. I had a few people ask me about, it, and met some great people that way.

It was 59 pounds for 3 weeks...they have shorter rentals as well. I found them to be very responsive and I really had a great experience. I ordered before I flew out, and it was at the hotel when I arrived. When I left, I just put it in the supplied envelope. Easy Peasy.

Posted by
1022 posts

Thanks for pointing out this useful service which I've bookmarked for our next trip to the UK. This will be better than worrying about overuse of a data roaming plan with ATT, our iPhone carrier, and cheaper as well. Also much handier for using Skype. Now if they will only expand the service to France and other countries.

Posted by
970 posts

FWIW, I bought a BT wifi package earlier this month and never found a place to use it other than Costas coffee.

Posted by
250 posts

Re: the BT Wifi Plan only working at Cost Coffee... You are right. A 'plan' (which is a card you buy and then you try to find a wifi spot from which you can use the card (type in the username and password associated with the card)... But you have to find a wifi spot that will take it first. Starbucks has a similar plan/card.

But this Mi-Fi device is actually hardware you rent that IS a wifi spot. It is not a 'card' or a 'plan'. It's actually a hotspot itself. Think of it as a cell phone that just connects you to the internet....then your laptop or iPod Touch or whatever can get to he internet...just like if you were home or in an internet cafe.

Posted by
1022 posts

I've just read of a competing service called Fonmigo which also looks good. Internet roaming in the UK has gotten a lot better.

Posted by
32353 posts

MiFi is becoming increasingly popular in other places in the world as well. I believe Verizon offers this service in the U.S., as well as Rogers in Canada.