TELECOMS IN VALENCIA
Monopolies on telecoms were present across the globe, so too ion Spain. This old story is unfortunately still relevant to today’s consumers, due to complex organisational deficiencies.
Opening the market to competition did, however, achieve the desired results in several ways.. The national champion was the publicly controlled monopoly Telefonica, which was founded in 1924 and is still the countries largest telecoms and communications company. Privatised and reinvented, sort of.
Their service providers include Movistar and O2. Meanwhile mobile development attracted other big players such as Vodafone and Orange to join the fray. Stores adorn some of the streets of the city. Good options are available from a host of businesses operating online including O2, Yoigo, Jazztel, Lowi and Másmóvil.
Broadband networks have been successively added to the mix, and to the unbelievable tangle of cables adorning house frontages or spanning across the sky above many streets.
Quality Connectivity
All companies offer a mix of packages with broadband, landline, fijo, mobile, móvil, and TV, including Netflix, Prime, etcetera. Download rates vary but, since Spain is a leader in the field, speed is normally less of a concern than abroad. The lower rate of 300mb has become the norm and packages of 500 mb, 600 mb and even 1 gigabyte are also very affordable.
Fortunately, competition in telecoms in Valencia is strong, which has led to lower prices and new connections normally being installed within just a day or two. Smartphones and mobile use have naturally taken over lives in Spain too and so 5g is also widespread.
Better service is not necessarily forthcoming when changing between providers and payments continuing to being withdrawn from customer’s accounts.
The number of contracts is vast and fine print is important for two reasons in particular. Is unlimited truly the case or do hidden limits or lower speeds exist and what happens if a move abroad suddenly becomes relevant?
Many deals include the purchase of a smartphone and are lengthy, with commitment up to twenty-four months. This can be too long for many expats, who may be interested in prepaid or pay as you go contracts which are also available.
Interestingly, other countries may give hope. Finland has fast mobile coverage to all corners of the country, so vast numbers of clients have never connected “immobile” through a cable. It’s possible to just walk into a kiosk, purchase a sim card, register online and receive unlimited 4g for under € 1 per day. Or 5g naturally.
Mobile only voice and data deals are also available from Lebara, that s specialised in international packages for those who like to phone abroad at length.
By Vincent Green, Mar 14 2024
STREET ART IN VALENCIA
The street art scene in this Mediterranean city is alive and thriving. Tiny, hardly noticeable, scenes vie for attention as passionately as many vast, metre-high murals. Many pieces appear harmonious, others make a more aggressive statement.
MUSEUMS IN VALENCIA
One of the greatest joys for expats interested in local culture and history is to discover the wide selection of museums in Valencia. The exhibits impress with their, at times simple, at others well structured and comprehensible displays of artefacts.
Many people lose something at sometime. Since that includes expats, any loss can prove somewhat more challenging. Recovering lost property or taking of urgent protective measures are not quite as easy as in familiar surroundings.
