Alternative to Movistar?

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 4:40pm

6 replies3 members subscribed

Dubiner92500

Posts: 410

39 helpful points

Location: El Campello

Joined: 12 Jun 2018

Hi there,

Since buying our holiday home in EC 5 years ago we've been with Movistar... Initially the monthly rate was about 50-55 euros and it's been creeping up since.. We have wifi, tv and 1 mobile with data... We never bothered paying for their TV decoder as we managed to access the basic Spanish tv channels on our Samsung tv (that has now changed)...

As we're not here permanently we're trying to investigate alternatives: good wifi is essential (both for hubby working & streaming) as well as one mobile phone with data.. Not too sure how all the other internet providers provide tv services? At the moment we can only access Spanish channels via the Samsung app on the tv which isn't great (previously we could get the terrestrial Spanish tv news channels but no longer).

I know it's a busy time of the year so there's no rush but would just like to review alternatives as we seem to be paying more for the 'service' here than we do for ours in Paris!

thanks for any advice

Caroline

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Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 5:09pm

marcliff

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 1702

2064 helpful points

Location: Rojales

Joined: 5 Jan 2023

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 5:09pm

Yes, that is expensive. I don't know providers in El Campello but our internet provider gives up 600Mb connection with all English TV at 24.90 a month although we don't use the TV bit but we do have an unlimited landline phone with them for the same price. We then have Lobster mobile at just 12.99 a month for 35Gb. Both are switch on/switch off providers so you tell them you aren't here and then don't pay for that period.

Spanish TV is available with an aerial. Just plug in an aerial cable into your wall and all the Spanish channels will be there for free just like Freeview in UK. Spanish law states that all houses must have terrestrial TV supplied.

Must have someone with the same systems in your area.

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Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 5:49pm

Dubiner92500

Original Poster

Posts: 410

39 helpful points

Location: El Campello

Joined: 12 Jun 2018

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 5:49pm

marcliff wrote on Sat Dec 23, 2023 5:09pm:
Yes, that is expensive. I don't know providers in El Campello but our internet provider gives up 600Mb connection with all English TV at 24.90 a month although we don't use the TV bit but we do have an unlimited landline phone with them for the same price. We then have Lobster mobile at just 12.9...

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...9 a month for 35Gb. Both are switch on/switch off providers so you tell them you aren't here and then don't pay for that period.
Spanish TV is available with an aerial. Just plug in an aerial cable into your wall and all the Spanish channels will be there for free just like Freeview in UK. Spanish law states that all houses must have terrestrial TV supplied.
Must have someone with the same systems in your area.

Thanks Marcliff

I think the house had cable so we were using the cable to get terrestial tv - it seemed to work until recently as now all the basic Spanish news channels are no longer on the terresterial channels on the Samsung tv... hence had to use the Samsung tv app which isn't great as it seems to buffer... Our house is in an Urb full of Spaniards so I'll try and find out if we can just get an aerial.. When we signed up to Movistar we didn't want to pay for their tv decoder as we figured the Spanish terrestrial channels would be enough and we have UK satellite and French satellite tv so that's more than enough!

I might pop down to the other providers after the Christmas holidays and try and figure out what their 'deals' are... We have a land line which we never use and from the recent sms from Movistar I'm guessing that they're adding 10 cents to those calls... bit by bit it's becoming expensive for what we use!

thanks for your help!