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There are lots of prepaid price plans for mobile internet access via GPRS or UMTS in the German market. These prepaid price plans can be used by netbook or notebook users for accessing the internet on their way with data transfer speeds of up to 7.2 mbps (download) in the networks of T-Mobile, Vodafone and O2 Germany. However, most low-rate prepaid offers are offered by discount providers realizing the mobile internet access over the network of E-Plus. This operator has just begun expanding its UMTS network. At the moment, maximum data transmission speeds hardly exceed 500 kbps (download). Netbook or notebook users looking for cheap mobile internet plans in other, better performing networks, should check postpaid price plans with short minimum – here is a short overview of current offers.

Mobile Internet, Picture: Hansenet

Mobile Internet Price Plans Over the Network of O2 Germany

O2 Germany offers two different flat rate tariff options for mobile internet access with a short minimum term of three months to subscribers of its postpaid price plan O2 o which comes without a monthly fee and with a minimum term of just one month. The “Internet-Pack M” costs EUR 9.95 per month and offers a unlimited data transfers. But once a data volume limit of 200 MB has been exceeded, the maximum transfer speed will be reduced to GPRS level for the remaining days of that specific month. The “Internet-Pack L” offers 5 GB per month for data transfers with EDGE, UMTS or HSPA speed for EUR 25.00. An UMTS surf stick can be bought for EUR 85.00 at O2 stores. New customers ordering the mobile internet price plan and the UMTS surf stick online at www.o2online.de get a 15 percent discount on monthly charges and the purchase price for the hardware.

At the Klarmobil web store netbook or notebook users can choose between two similar price plans with a short minimum term of just one month. The “Internet Flat 500″ costs EUR 9.95 per month and provides 500 MB for faster data transmissions. The “Internet Flat 5000″ is available for EUR 19.95 per month and includes 5 GB per month for data transfers with EDGE, UMTS or HSPA speed over the network of O2 Germany. Klarmobil sells the UMTS surf stick XSStick®W14 for a purchase price of EUR 59.95.

Provider Hansenet (Alice) offers two flat rate tariffs as well. The “Surf-Flat Handy” with a minimum term of one month is available for EUR 9.90 per month and includes 300 MB for faster data transmissions. The “Surf-Flat Laptop” with a minimum term of one month is available for EUR 19.90 per month and includes 1 GB for data transfers with EDGE, UMTS or HSPA speed over the network of O2 Germany. New customers pay also an one-time set-up fee of EUR 19.90. A new UMTS surf stick costs EUR 69.90 at Alice stores.

Café-cum-retailer Tchibo does also offer a flat rate tariff for mobile internet access over the O2 Germany network for EUR 19.95 per month (“Internet-Flatrate XL”) which includes 5 GB for faster data transmissions. It can be booked to the cell phone plan “Tchibo Mobil Komfort” which comes without a monthly charge. Tchibo sells an UMTS surf stick for EUR 29.95 plus EUR 4.95 for delivery.

Mobile Internet Price Plans Over Other Networks

Price plans with a short minimum term of one month for accessing the internet via GPRS or UMTS over the networks of T-Mobile and Vodafone with 5 GB data volume for EDGE, UMTS or HSPA transfers can be found at web stores of Fastsim (T-Mobile network) or of Mcsim (Vodafone network). Subscribers should be careful when deciding on one of these offers because the monthly fee of EUR 19.95 only applies for the first six months of the contract. After the first half year, subscribers pay EUR 29.95 per month. Bigsim and Simply (both T-Mobile network) charge their customers EUR 19.95 per month over the first two years of the contract period.

In each case, new subscribers are charged an one-time set-up fee of EUR 24.95. An UMTS surf stick is usually available for EUR 49.00. In contrast to the mobile internet plans over the O2 Germany network, T-Mobile and Vodafone do not allow services such as voice over IP, instant messaging or peer-to-peer in their networks.

Overview of current prepaid plans for mobile internet access in Germany:
Prepaid Price Plans for Mobile Internet Access