1604 Telephone Bill !!!!

My husband uses the internet for work and we can't get broadband (even though we suppose to have it - telephones companies mistake).

Our phone bills are horrendous. Or and by the way they had to install a telephone line for us and didn't charge us anything.

..free connection...wow !!...do they make the rules up as they go along do you think ? :confused:

Sorry about your Broadband...we only asked for an ordinary internet link and got Broadband .... :rolleyes:

I do think they make up the depending on the day of the week or perhaps the weather.

I've rightly or wrongly that the telephone company are legelly now supposed to have broadband available to everybody. I was told in the Summer by October. Which in Italian mean next October.

in another thread someone recommended only using TIM for the connection - and then tele2 for cheaper calls and ADSL [url]www.tele2.it[/url] (they are Europe wide)

Note: if you cant see the whole web page - then try downloading a new browser at [url]www.opera.com[/url] - its free

helping the internet stay free

[QUOTE=alex and lyn]With the help of our long-suffering agent ( who incidently is still helping us with technicalities like this after 5 months ...brilliant !)[/QUOTE]

Who's your agent? Ours is brilliant too and as have bought in the same region as you we're wondering if it's the same one.

When I next go to my home in Le Marche I would like to find out how to have a land line installed. I would love a phone number to call. Does anyone have one? We have no line at the mement and dread to think what price.

[QUOTE=GlenB]in another thread someone recommended only using TIM for the connection - and then tele2 for cheaper calls and ADSL [url]www.tele2.it[/url] (they are Europe wide)

Out of my own experience, let me tell you this: DO NOT USE TELE 2 FOR ADSL!! They get your money and give nohing back in return, and unfortunately what they make you sign is a trap for one year.

Francesco
[url]www.learnitalian.bravehost.com[/url]

Does anyone know if there are any companys here doing unlimited internet use for a set price as there is in uk, Our bills are v high and its mostly the int fees.

Sure we read recently that Telecom Italia have started offering a fixed fee unlimited access service very recently. Worth looking at their website?

telecom italia is about the worst of the public service companies...took almost a year to get bills sent to the right address.... and most probably have the most complaints against them of any of the public companies... they are also i think involved with alice... so i would think they are as bad

their operators hang up when they get tired of talking and they have no fear of threats.... however options are arriving i do believe tele 2 are about to be given permission to actually not only provide the phone calls but also to bill for line rental.... in april.. like others we now use a combination of tele2 and telecom...

as regards internet connections we pay tiscali around e15 per month for access via dial up for hours between 9am and 6 pm.... i have not found a 24 hr subscription service... anyway i regard it as reasonable though slightly inconvenient at times... but if you do go outside the times the hourly rate is much the same as others and is just added to the monthly direct debit...

they also provide a broadband/adsl service...however you type in your phone numebr and it will say if your exchange is suitable.... that is also based on a monthly charge...but as i dont use it not sure what it is....

anyway in two years of use their service has been fine...slight connection delays sometimes... but not a lot...

all contracts here are in violation of normal fair eu trade rules...you just get used to it...eg insurance policies will generally lock you in to two year contracts ...with penalties .... most of you will sign contracts with people to do work on your house ...also they often have penalties.... forget about the easy switch processes in the uk...even banks here are hard to change.... its an archaic anti consumer system ...surrounded by outdated and protective rules,laws and regulations.... its the main reason that wine is so cheap here i believe... its necessary after a days arguing to be able to relax over a glass of red wine and at least be able to say.... now i remember why i am here.... luckily italians have never known that consumer rights exist... so it doesnt really bother them so much...though telecom is a sort of hate symbol here....maybe its better that we all relax and take the italian way...

recently attempted to look to book a holiday from italy.... forget about it... travel agents have few brochures...hardly any internet companies and no cheap airlines...unless you want to go to the uk.... once tried helping a neighbour travelling to america to get a decent trans atlantic price... its a joke... you would think with the big italy/us connection it might be possable...but no ... like i say.... get used to a different pace of life and a markedly different customer service tradition otherwise you will just get too angry... and despite the red wine something will give in your main artery...

and most importantly write down in your diaries when bills are supposed to arrive as a major source of income here could well be fines for non payments of bills and if they do not arrive phone the company and get the bill verbally and pay... they used to send our gas bill to the wrong village and were within one day of sending the disconnection team out in the middle of winter...

Dear John, since you seem like an expert on this telephone thing, what do you advise me to do. I have 2 lines with Telecom and also Wind/Libero for free internet and phone calls (didnt it used to be called Infostrada?-why do they keep changing the names and confusing the consumers!!).
All I want is free internet and l phone line so people can call me even when I'm on the internet. ..and of course to keep the bills down. I presently pay 3 different bills each bimestre and the bank domicilio hasnt gone through for 2 of them (Wind and l telecom line) so I have to pay at the posta then fax them the recipt. Any suggestion (as to what to do first) would be most welcome.

The extra cost of the second phone line would more than likely pay for a cheap always on ADSL broadband connection from someone like Tiscali (Dread to recommend but there prices are good if you don't mind notoriously bad customer services) allowing you to continue using the one phone line for voice calls at the same time.

If you want extra lines you can look into VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) over your ADSL connection. There are a number of providers in Italy now and if you want you can even get numbers from other counties like the UK so that friends can call you at non-long distance rates and the phone call costs are much better than from Telecom Italia.

[QUOTE=mariangela]When I next go to my home in Le Marche I would like to find out how to have a land line installed. I would love a phone number to call. Does anyone have one? We have no line at the mement and dread to think what price.[/QUOTE]
patience is the answer... we have land line in a rented apartment and I trust that my italian will be better when we ask for it to be transferred to our house... domani. it has taken several visits from engineers to fix the broadband which proved to be errori in fuori and not inside the house. good luck Janetta

[QUOTE=mariangela]When I next go to my home in Le Marche I would like to find out how to have a land line installed. I would love a phone number to call. Does anyone have one? We have no line at the mement and dread to think what price.[/QUOTE]
To get a land line you have to call, or even better, if there are no landlines nearby visit the Telecom for your area,take with you the land registry maps and any other documents proving you are who you say you are etc and ask them to put one in.In our area in the Marche ASDL is not available so we asked for a ISDN line which is REALLY fast.It took 1 year to have this they had to put in a line through 3 kms of dense woodland on a hillside and connected (in 2002) this cost us (suprise suprise) exactly what it would have cost us in an appartment building in a city to be connected ie. Euro 140,00.
Now these fees may have changed since then but that was EXCELLENT as a charge...for the rest telephones are expensive in this country and internet without ADSL can get expensive if used a lot but it's swings and roundabouts.
Just as a by the way when we had a 25KW electricity supply put in (rather than the normal domestric 3kw) it took 2 years and we were charged Euro 6.000,00
but we had a Scottish person staying who had just had 25 kw put into his sheep milking barn in Scotland (3 kms from the generation plant) for a modest 15.000, pounds sterling!!!!!!!!!!!!! so it's not all bad as some make out.

So,Sebastian and anyone else, is ISDN better than ADSL if there is a choice and if broadband isn't available?

Is it right that you won't persuade a supplier to install broadband unless there is a demand for it in the area so if you are a bit isolated you have no chance? Has anyone ever lobbied a supplier for broadband or is this too British?

Is there any way of discovering what kinds of lines are possible in an area if you don't already have a standard line connection and number? Other than of course contacting Telecom Italia. Its obviously not possible to do a search online without a number.

Is it possible also to find out when ADSL may arrive?

I think you go to [url]www.alice.it[/url] and type in your number or a neighbour's if you don't yet have one and it will tell you if broadband is available

[QUOTE=Robert]I think you go to [url]www.alice.it[/url] and type in your number or a neighbour's if you don't yet have one and it will tell you if broadband is available[/QUOTE]
Hi Robert,As far as i'm aware,and unlike uk ,it's not a question of petitions of people who want it,i mean broadband, its just a question as to whether it exists in certain areas or not .you are right that you can find out instantly if your area is covered or not (ours isn't)on internet itself.
because of that and the fact we use the net for work we decided to have an isdn line that you can have almost everywhere although initially they tried to dissuade us..it's very fast but does not have the low cost advantages of asdl
in the end swings and roundabouts i suppose..
Anyway one day maybe asdl will arrive...maybe
from rural marche happy new year.

[QUOTE=Robert]So,Sebastian and anyone else, is ISDN better than ADSL if there is a choice and if broadband isn't available?[/QUOTE]

No, ISDN is not better than ADSL, but it's an improvement over a traditional modem connection and sometimes it's the best that's possible.

ISDN runs at roughly double the speed of a modem connection: 128 kilobytes/sec compared to modem's top speed of 56 kb/s. The minimum ADSL speed in the UK is now nearly ten times that (512 kb/s) and ADSL is currently capable of speeds up to 2,000kb/s.

But ADSL will only work if the wires between you and your telephone exchange are fairly short. ISDN will work on lines that are a little longer.

Also, ISDN connects much more rapidly than the old bong-bong-hiss routine of a modem, so if you're not downloading huge files or playing on-line shoot 'em up games, the [I]perception[/I] may well be that ISDN is not much different from the "always on" ADSL.

Al

How about connection via mobile? I understand it's quite simple, looking into the possibility as we speak as we are out of broadband area but GSM is a possibility for a better and quicker connection.

[QUOTE=Macy]How about connection via mobile? I understand it's quite simple, looking into the possibility as we speak as we are out of broadband area but GSM is a possibility for a better and quicker connection.[/QUOTE]

There was a [URL="http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1973"]discussion about this[/URL] a little while ago (including some longwinded wittering by me).

To be really geeky, I suspect what you mean is that you're looking into internet via GPRS. I don't think connecting by GSM is really what you want, since the data transfer rate is similar to that of a modem. GPRS is faster (if the connection is good) and more like conventional broadband in that it is always available.

If you need to follow this route, I believe what you need to be very careful about is the charging structure for your GPRS service. If you look in the thread I cited, you'll see that it is possible to get a flat rate connection in Italy. This is certainly not the case for all mobile phone companies everywhere; when I use the GPRS service available via my UK mobile, I am charged for each block of data transferred.

You might also look into whether a 3G connection is viable for you technically and economically. GSM is slowest, GPRS faster and 3G faster still. As it happens, I recently saw an advert for a very nifty device that you can plug a 3G datacard into and then connect your home PC to via wireless or wired network. There may be other models available, but the one I saw was called a [I]Linksys Wireless G Router for 3G/UMTS[/I] and the mobile phone card provided was for the Vodafone network. This could be a nifty solution since it's likely that a place where you can't get broadband is also somewhere that the mobile phone connection isn't wonderful. Having a wireless router with the equivalent of it's own mobile phone on board means you could stick it someplace where the mobile connection was good (e.g. an attic window) and have considerable flexibility about where your PC(s) are sited.

But it is 3G and my understanding is that connection costs can make 3G impractical for anyone who can't charge the costs against an expense account or put them down as a business expense on their tax return.

Hope this is of some interest.

Al

[QUOTE=AllanMason]There was a [URL="http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1973"]discussion about this[/URL] a little while ago (including some longwinded wittering by me).

To be really geeky, I suspect what you mean is that you're looking into internet via GPRS. I don't think connecting by GSM is really what you want, since the data transfer rate is similar to that of a modem. GPRS is faster (if the connection is good) and more like conventional broadband in that it is always available.

If you need to follow this route, I believe what you need to be very careful about is the charging structure for your GPRS service. If you look in the thread I cited, you'll see that it is possible to get a flat rate connection in Italy. This is certainly not the case for all mobile phone companies everywhere; when I use the GPRS service available via my UK mobile, I am charged for each block of data transferred.

You might also look into whether a 3G connection is viable for you technically and economically. GSM is slowest, GPRS faster and 3G faster still. As it happens, I recently saw an advert for a very nifty device that you can plug a 3G datacard into and then connect your home PC to via wireless or wired network. There may be other models available, but the one I saw was called a [I]Linksys Wireless G Router for 3G/UMTS[/I] and the mobile phone card provided was for the Vodafone network. This could be a nifty solution since it's likely that a place where you can't get broadband is also somewhere that the mobile phone connection isn't wonderful. Having a wireless router with the equivalent of it's own mobile phone on board means you could stick it someplace where the mobile connection was good (e.g. an attic window) and have considerable flexibility about where your PC(s) are sited.

But it is 3G and my understanding is that connection costs can make 3G impractical for anyone who can't charge the costs against an expense account or put them down as a business expense on their tax return.

Hope this is of some interest.

Al[/QUOTE]

An update about how I am trying to outwit the high telephone costs: I got rid of Wind/Libero with a registered letter (the ricevuta is still to return to me) then I cancelled the second telecom number and line ..actually my daughter who is much more diplomatic and patient did the call to 187 ..the call center operators are not patient enough for me.
I asked for an ADSL line which was automatically done by telecom ... I then bought a modem for ADSL (I've heard others around here had waited months for it ...whereas others have been sent telecom modems they havnt asked for ).
Also, the libero.it email doesnt arrive to my outlook express anymore and I've had to get a new email address with alice.it . I can still see my libero.it mail by going on their website.

The computer was too old for the ADSL ...so I got a new computer. Trying to save money means spending money !

In the end I'll have to wait a month or so to see if any money has effectively been saved.

Telecom Italia, if any of the girls who worked for me had spoken to clients the way TI spoke to me , I would have fired them on the spot.
Very , very rude, do not want to know, they do not want to listen, cannot wait to get rid of you. I feel sorry for anyone who does not speak Italian, it must be murder trying to deal with them.
Cost us Euro150 for connection , and we paid this in 2 payments of Euro 75.
I arranged for my bank to pay all my utilities by direct debit , as I did in the UK.
Wonderful , no problems now. Are you kidding? Telecom Italia sent me a bill, and I filed it in the paid bills file , as I knew the bank would pay. HOWEVER, TI forgot to request the payment from my bank ( not the bank's fault ) they then rang to say I was about to be cut off. Rang my bank and they rang TI and she told them what idiots they were.
The bill was paid, BUT on my next bill there was a fine for non payment.
I have lived here for six months and been fined twice by the commune, for late payments, been fined by TI and every time it is their fault NOT MINE. The commune cannot be paid by my bank as the charges change, so this is paid by my commercialiste. He paid it , but somehow the payment goes astray, going once more after the festa to the commune to sort this out.
By the way have you checked the cheaper tariffs on Telecom Italia web site ?

[QUOTE=herealready]Does anyone know if there are any companys here doing unlimited internet use for a set price as there is in uk, Our bills are v high and its mostly the int fees.[/QUOTE]

I have a Telecom Italia 'land line' and subscribe to Alice ADSL broadband at a cost of €19 per month PLUS - of course - my phone calls. In addition I subscribe to their 'Teleconomy Internazionale' for a further €10 per month. This however is a super system whereby I can call [I][B]any[/B] landline[/I] in Europe, or the USA and Canada at [I]ANY time 24/7 for as long as I like [B]and all these calls are FREE!!![/B][/I]
I do have to pay for my calls to Italy - but [I]Hey[/I]...who cares!

So for €29 per month I get 24/7 'broadband' [U]and[/U] free calls to any landlines in their Zone 1 (as described above).

I will stay with Telecom Italia not only because of these services, but because they have the large back up service to deal with communication problems.

[B]BUT[/B] - yes there's always a BUT isn't there.....Unfortunately they have [I][U]no[/U][/I] idea of what constitutes [I]'customer service'[/I]. Their CS is tantamount (usually) to a load of kids playing 'pass the parcel' at a party - but with them it's 'pass the buck'. They will often tell you [I]whatever you want to hear[/I]. Promise whatever you ask for - and then file your 'request' in the waste bin.... so when you come to seek an update on your request they (surprise, surprise) have NO record of it! The secret - I have found - is to ask for their 'expert help' ([I]aka 'crafty grovelling'[/I];) ) on the very first call/request you make. Once 'on your side' you [I]should be home and dry![/I]

Carole We have this offer as well! It is almost too good to be true if you make a lot of calls abroad as we do! Sure it will not last long when Telecom Italia realise how much it is costing them? Unfortunately though we do not have Broadband so use a GPRS connection for the computer.

[QUOTE=DavidandLinda]Carole We have this offer as well! It is almost too good to be true if you make a lot of calls abroad as we do! Sure it will not last long when Telecom Italia realise how much it is costing them? Unfortunately though we do not have Broadband so use a GPRS connection for the computer.[/QUOTE]

The 'Teleconomy Internazionale' contract gives NO terms of use/time scales at all. It is an open ended contract and as such [I]'should not cease'[/I]....But we [I]all[/I] know what Italian consumer promises are worth - don't we?

But as long as I've got it - and they get my €10 per month...I'll use it to the absolute limit. It's wonderful being able to speak to family and friends [I]almost anywhere[/I] for 'hours' and then getting a bill that says [I]XXXX[/I]calls - GRATIS!:)

[QUOTE=Carole B]
But as long as I've got it - and they get my €10 per month...I'll use it to the absolute limit. It's wonderful being able to speak to family and friends [I]almost anywhere[/I] for 'hours' and then getting a bill that says [I]XXXX[/I]calls - GRATIS!:)[/QUOTE]

Yes it is Great. Long may it last.
We are certainly making very good use of the offer.

[URL="http://adsl.alice.it/navigare/alice_flat.html"]http://adsl.alice.it/navigare/alice_flat.html[/URL]

Look at this Telecom Italia offer - extended I think to about 14/11/06.

I've had the same one since last year and it gives me ADSL 24/7..... But it depends where you live as to whether it's available.

[LEFT]If you cant bear telecom then you can have an adsl line with [URL="http://www.superadsl.it"]www.superadsl.it[/URL]. 1 MB 24/7 line cost 22 euro a month. 4MB line cost 29.99 euro a month. You can have the adsl line without a telephone line from telecom.

For VOIP Telephone service, I use

[URL="http://www.sipgate.co.uk"]www.sipgate.co.uk[/URL] to get a free local Uk Number
[URL="http://www.skypho.net"]www.skypho.net[/URL] to get up to 99 free italian local numbers.

Hope this helps[/LEFT]

[quote=Carole B]I have a Telecom Italia 'land line' and subscribe to Alice ADSL broadband at a cost of €19 per month PLUS - of course - my phone calls. [/quote]

Weirdly I thought I had posted this question yesterday, but I can't find it anywhere so forgive me if I'm duplicating myself.

I wondered if you were out in the country somewhere or within a town. I know you're up by the lakes somewhere. I ask because my understanding of ADSL is that you can only get it if you live within certain no of kilometres of the exchange. As our house is in a tiny hamlet out in the countryside, I've always assumed we would not be able to get it.

[quote=Licciana]....you can only get it if you live within certain no of kilometres of the exchange...[/quote]

It relates to whether an exchange has been upgraded rather than distance from any exchange.

There is a facility to check whether your phone number can receive ADSL but I can't recall the website. Not having a land-line number, I can't check but I seem to recall that when I checked it against a friend's land-line who lived locally, it was not available.

Open this link and enter your 'phone code and number - that will then tell you if you are in an [B]adsl[/B] recieving area or not!
[URL="http://adsl.alice.it//verifica_copertura.html?CS_BE=navigare_aliceflat_s2_1"]http://adsl.alice.it//verifica_copertura.html?CS_BE=navigare_aliceflat_s2_1[/URL]

Hope this is of use to you.
I don't live near any large towns really - both Sondrio and Lecco are about 45km away!

[quote=tuscanhills]It relates to whether an exchange has been upgraded rather than distance from any exchange.[/quote]
I should have said you can only get it if you live within a certain no. of kilometers of an [I]enabled[/I] exchange. Of course the exchange needs the appropriate DSLAM (yes I can bore for Britain on the subject of ADSL - well on a number of topics, really) but the distance from the exchange is also a factor. The copper wire cannot physically carry the signal beyond a certain point. I think it's approximately 5 - 6 km but that may vary. If you knew the phone number of someone in Licciana, for example, you could find out if ADSL is available there, but it wouldn't necessarily mean that we could benefit by it, despite being on the same exchange - or would be if we had land lines.

The distance issue is one reason that outlying communities may not be able to be served by ADSL. The other, of course, is economics. There just may not be enough people living within the footprint of the exchange to make an upgrade profitable.

I find it really funny reading these stories, I know I shouldn't laugh at it but a bit of Schadenfreude does us all good.
Have you's not thought of (and I'm sure some of you have) using Skype it's free (really!!) and you can phone each other and the rest of the world for that matter for absolutely nothing using your computer connections. Computer to computer it is free and to landlines or mobiles it is cheaper than the normal telcom costs. Just download and away you go! One in the eye for the telecom world.:p

[QUOTE=brenlake]I find it really funny reading these stories, I know I shouldn't laugh at it but a bit of Schadenfreude does us all good.
Have you's not thought of (and I'm sure some of you have) using Skype it's free (really!!) and you can phone each other and the rest of the world for that matter for absolutely nothing using your computer connections. Computer to computer it is free and to landlines or mobiles it is cheaper than the normal telcom costs. Just download and away you go! One in the eye for the telecom world.:p[/QUOTE]

Ah yes but the catch with Skype or any similar system as we have been told is that your internet connection has to be up to speed for it to work! We only have a GPRS Innternet connection and although it is much faster than our previous landline one, no broadband for us, it will not cope with Skype.
So we will continue to make good use of the Telcom offer.

I know of a few people who don't have broadband and they've had no problems using it so I can only say give it a try. Ok so it may perhaps not work all the time but if it works some of the time it's got to be worth it when your not paying telcom anything!

brenlake, thanks for the advice. We must look into this. Are we right in thinking though that the person you are speaking to also must have Skype?

[QUOTE=brenlake]I know of a few people who don't have broadband and they've had no problems using it so I can only say give it a try. Ok so it may perhaps not work all the time but if it works some of the time it's got to be worth it when your not paying telcom anything![/QUOTE]

But... (maybe I've got it wrong) - if you are using SKYPE over a 'dial-up' link and [U]not[/U] on ADSL - surely that would cost you [I]'an arm and a leg'[/I] on [B]your[/B] telephone bill? Wouldn't it????

David and Linda
For what it's worth: I recently accepted the regrettable fact that I'm not going to get Telecom Italia (or anyone else) to provide broadband in San Nicola Arcella, Calabria, for the forseeable future.
So I signed up for the Alice 'pay as you go' dial-up service -- at one cent a minute -- a few weeks ago.
We've used it with Skype -- it is not great, but it does work, as long as one doesn't try to over-egg the pudding with Skype video calls etc.
Certainly worth a try. I also used it with SkypeOut -- the one cent a minute Skype service to call landlines around the world -- and it worked okay.
rgds
Eddie B

EddieB, thanks for your info much appreciated. Do you know if Skype works with GPRS? GPRS is how we connect to the internet at present and we are more than pleased with the service.

Hi all,
We returned to the Uk last week after a fairly long spell in Calabria (since the end of August) to find the thing that struck me most (more then the cold and biting wind) was how grey it is here just now....8-((

But, back to the topic!
We have been on dial-up in Italy since our telephone line was installed about a year ago and were told that we couldn't have broadband where we live - although our town centre is enabled.
This was a huge frustation to me as I had been used to being both broadband and wireless in England but I had resigned myself to the fact that I had no absolutely no chance of ever being broadband enabled as we are quite a way up a hill and it would never be cost effective for Telecom Italia to enable the scattered houses in our locality.
The fact that we have the most amazing views made up for that a bit - and I do spend a lot less time online in Italy than I do here.

But, just for fun, I followed the link to the coverage checker posted by Carole B (have checked on a regular basis in the last year to no avail) but this time...

WOOHOO!!

This is what it said:
Il numero telefonico che hai inserito è raggiunto dal servizio Alice ADSL.

Sulla tua linea non è possibile al momento attivare Alice 20 Mega.
Scopri la fantastica promozione su Alice 4 Mega! I primi due mesi sono GRATIS e i successivi 4 mesi paghi l'abbonamento solo 29,95 €/mese anziché 36,95 €/mese!
Se richiedi anche il modem in noleggio, ti sarà inviato un modem wi fi per collegarti ad Internet senza fili al costo di abbonamento mensile 3,00 €.

My lingua is still a bit hopeless but my interpretation of this is that, although 20 Mega is not available to us we can go for 4 Mega ADSL.(If I have got this completely wrong could someone let me know, please?!)

So, you could have knocked me down with a feather!
Great news if all is as it seems and it really is possible to get the adsl service (knowing my luck we will still be ten centimeters too far from the exchange or some such thing) as we are hoping to be moving over permanently in the New Year and if we can use Skype and stay in touch with friends and family across the globe via a speedy connection that will be tremendous.

So, EddieB, maybe broadband in San Nicola is closer than you might think?
Will keep you posted with our progress, although we won't be back in Italy now until after our last English Christmas so won't be taking it any further until then.

Best wishes, Lesley & Brian

[QUOTE= iwanttobeinitaly]From Telecom...."Sulla tua linea non è possibile al momento attivare Alice 20 Mega.
Scopri la fantastica promozione su Alice 4 Mega! I primi due mesi sono GRATIS e i successivi 4 mesi paghi l'abbonamento solo 29,95 €/mese anziché 36,95 €/mese!
Se richiedi anche il modem in noleggio, ti sarà inviato un modem wi fi per collegarti ad Internet senza fili al costo di abbonamento mensile 3,00 €."[/QUOTE]

[U]Translation[/U]
"On your line we are unable for the moment to provide Alice 20 Mega.
Uncover the fantastic promotion on Alice 4 Maga! The first two are FREE and for the following 4 months ypu pay only €29.95 monthly subscription instead of €36.95 per month!
If you also ask to rent the modem, you will be sent a wi fi modem to link you to the wireless Internet at a subscription cost of only €3 per month."

Hope this helps....

Thanks Carole B for the translation,

Pleased to note my understanding wasn't a mile out 8-))
(I have to admit that I sometimes answer a completely different question than the one I have been asked in conversation, but the written word I cope with a little better as I have more chance to think for longer!)

Would anyone know whether my English wireless router would work in Italia?
Can't really see any reason why it wouldn't but maybe somebody with expert knowledge of these things could advise me on this?

Ta and very best wishes, Lesley

David and Linda: afraid I don't know if if Skype works with GPRS, but I guess since it is faster than dial-up it should be able to take Skype okay. Easy way to find out is to download the Skype software from [url]www.skype.com[/url] and give it a whirl.
Lesley: Congratulations on the imminent arrival of broadband to your part of Belvedere. It's still not coming to San Nicola, though. I'd go for AliceSat if it were not for the problem of actually planning to be in San Nic when the telecom people come to deliver the dish and set it up. So, I'll have to stick with dial-up for the time being.
rgds
Eddie B

[QUOTE=EddieB]David and Linda: afraid I don't know if if Skype works with GPRS, but I guess since it is faster than dial-up it should be able to take Skype okay. Easy way to find out is to download the Skype software from [url]www.skype.com[/url] and give it a whirl.
Eddie B[/QUOTE]

David and Linda: From the Skype FAQ site -

Do I need WiFi? Does Skype for Pocket PC work on GPRS?

Skype for Pocket PC is designed to be used with a WiFi connection. If you are using Skype for Pocket PC with GPRS, you can use instant messaging but the bandwidth does not support calling functionality.

Hope this helps!

Insonne. thankyou so much for your input. As we had suspected we are better off as we are! Never mind! Our GPRS connection is with our main computer and our laptop but it still sounds like bandwith would not be enough.

Please keep me updated with your success with broadband in San Nicola Arcella. We won't be back until this summer, but need to figure out how to get Internet access. We were told, last time we visited in November, that the only option was dial-up in San Nicola Arcella. I've come to realize that very little comes to those that wait in Italy, but if you learn about broadband being available, please let me know.

Thanks! And I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Janet

[QUOTE=iwanttobeinitaly]Hi all,
We returned to the Uk last week after a fairly long spell in Calabria (since the end of August) to find the thing that struck me most (more then the cold and biting wind) was how grey it is here just now....8-((

But, back to the topic!
We have been on dial-up in Italy since our telephone line was installed about a year ago and were told that we couldn't have broadband where we live - although our town centre is enabled.
This was a huge frustation to me as I had been used to being both broadband and wireless in England but I had resigned myself to the fact that I had no absolutely no chance of ever being broadband enabled as we are quite a way up a hill and it would never be cost effective for Telecom Italia to enable the scattered houses in our locality.
The fact that we have the most amazing views made up for that a bit - and I do spend a lot less time online in Italy than I do here.

But, just for fun, I followed the link to the coverage checker posted by Carole B (have checked on a regular basis in the last year to no avail) but this time...

WOOHOO!!

This is what it said:
Il numero telefonico che hai inserito è raggiunto dal servizio Alice ADSL.

Sulla tua linea non è possibile al momento attivare Alice 20 Mega.
Scopri la fantastica promozione su Alice 4 Mega! I primi due mesi sono GRATIS e i successivi 4 mesi paghi l'abbonamento solo 29,95 €/mese anziché 36,95 €/mese!
Se richiedi anche il modem in noleggio, ti sarà inviato un modem wi fi per collegarti ad Internet senza fili al costo di abbonamento mensile 3,00 €.

My lingua is still a bit hopeless but my interpretation of this is that, although 20 Mega is not available to us we can go for 4 Mega ADSL.(If I have got this completely wrong could someone let me know, please?!)

So, you could have knocked me down with a feather!
Great news if all is as it seems and it really is possible to get the adsl service (knowing my luck we will still be ten centimeters too far from the exchange or some such thing) as we are hoping to be moving over permanently in the New Year and if we can use Skype and stay in touch with friends and family across the globe via a speedy connection that will be tremendous.

So, EddieB, maybe broadband in San Nicola is closer than you might think?
Will keep you posted with our progress, although we won't be back in Italy now until after our last English Christmas so won't be taking it any further until then.

Best wishes, Lesley & Brian[/QUOTE]