Using a Wind USB Modem in Greece
In previous articles I’d mentioned the merits of pay-as-you-go mobile broadband in Greece.
‘Wind’ are a recent Internet provider that’s predicted to dominate the telephony market within Greece in the next couple of years. (Reuters)
Walking into their local shop on the Island of Lefkas. I purchased a ‘Wind USB Modem’ plus 7 days of pay-as you-go credit. The cost of the USB stick is €126.00 (There is a cheaper option) which provides mobile broadband coverage throughout their extensive 3G Network. Due to the language barrier my Greek is not that good. I was able to ask the staff (In English) to activate my first pay-as-you-go-card within the shop. For a total of €140.00 (€14 = 7 days credit) I was ready to plug and play my new Internet access from my boat.
Software: You can downloaded the software from their website, it’s in Mac or PC format with comprehensive instructions in the form of and English PDF. The software interface is very simple to use and easy to understand. An unexpected bonus is that ‘Wind ADSM Connection Manager’ enables you to choose the network of your choice but I’d assume you’d need to be pre-registered with these other networks first (Comments welcomed on this issue)
Wind 3G is the default option. The software manager also has an SMS manager built within it, giving you options to store your contacts and organising your SMS messages. If this manager was able to send one message to multiple recipients at the same time it would be ideal for a rep’ wanting to send one singular message to multiple clients located all over an Island and beyond. (Comments welcomed on this issue)
Support: http://www.wind.com.gr/ website is very comprehensive and fairly easy to navigate it’s in both Greek and English; it has a logical layout that takes a little time to understand. Tariff plans and comprehensive detail about starter packs can be found at Wind Mobile Telephony – Individuals – Prepaid – Wind F2G.
Conclusion: The Wind USB Modem is very easy to use once it’s activated. The language barrier can be a problem for first time users so it’s recommended to get ‘Wind’ to do it for you within one of their local shops. Sailing between the Island I’ve found the coverage to be very good. In very secluded anchorages the speed has dropped off. I tend to surf when near a town and only check my email when the coverage is slower.
The price for the USB Modem stick is uncomfortable high at €126.00 (3.5 times higher than a T-Mobile Pay-as-you-go in the UK) however the quality of service between the two are about the same.
Recommendation: It’s frequently recommended by staff to unlock a cheaper USB Modem stick and just purchase the top-up cards from the local newsagents etc’, this is a much cheaper option. You’ll still have to download the ‘Wind ADSM Connection Manager’ from their site but that’s free. This option is probably the best way to go for the budget conscious traveller.
Tags: cruising, internet, sailing
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