Overview of Prepaid UMTS Surf Stick Packages for Notebook and Netbook Users

Overview of Prepaid UMTS Surf Stick Packages for Notebook Users

3 June 2010 One Comment

UMTS Surf Sticks, Picture: Phone Guide Germany

This is an overview of prepaid packages including an UMTS surf stick, a SIM card and a mobile data tariff that are available for notebook and netbook users in Germany. Subscribers can choose between different offers in the networks of Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile), Vodafone, E-Plus, and O2 Germany and between different pricing models, e.g. per day or per month. Some of these prepaid starter packages include a SIM card that can only be used for mobile data services, but not for mobile phone calls. Sometimes these prepaid starter packages also include a small amount of credit for mobile access to the internet via GPRS or UMTS.

Buyers should have their ID on them when getting a prepaid starter package at a mobile phone store. When ordering a prepaid starter package at a web store, they have to indicate a residence in Germany and pay by credit card or direct debit. Click on the providers’ names in the table to go to their websites.

Data transfer speeds are still highest in the 3G networks of Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and O2 Germany with up to 7.2 mbps download speed. However, these fast data transfer speeds are not available everywhere in Germany. Especially in rural areas, users might experience much slower data transmission. Sometimes, the provider limits the maximum data transfer speeds right away, e.g. this is the case with the “Prepaid Internet Stick” offer of Congstar. In flat rate tariffs, data transfer speeds are usually reduced for the remaining days of a month as soon as a certain amount of data volume has been downloaded (usually 5 GB) – in this overview these data volume limits are indicated in parentheses.

With many of these prepaid price plans services such as internet telephony (voice over IP) or peer-to-peer-services are not allowed.

Overview of Prepaid UMTS Surf Stick Packages for Notebook Users

Provider	Network	Price Plan	User Fee	Starter Package	3G Surf Stick
Base	E-Plus	Laptop Tages-Flat	€ 3.00 / day (250 MB)	€ 19.99	€ 49.00
Bildmobil	Vodafone	Speedstick	€ 0.59 / 1 GB over 30 min. € 0.99 / 1 GB over 90 min. € 6.99 / 1 GB over 7 days € 39.99 / 3 GB over 90 days	included	€ 49.95
Blau	E-Plus	Einheitstarif	€ 2.40 / day (1 GB) € 3.90 / 100 MB over 30 days € 9.90 / 1 GB over 30 days € 19.80 / flat rate (5 GB) over 30 days	included	€ 79.00
Congstar	Dt. Telekom (384 kbps)	Prepaid	€ 2.49 / day (500 MB)	included	€ 39.99
Deutsche Telekom	Dt. Telekom	web'n'walk Dayflat	€ 4.95 / day (1 GB)	included	€ 39.95
Fonic	O2 Germany	Internet-Tagesflat	€ 2.50 / day until € 25.00 per month	included	€ 39.95
Medion Mobile	E-Plus	Mobiles Internet	€ 1.99 / day (1 GB) € 14.99 / flat rate 30 days (5 GB)	€ 12.99	€ 49.99
N24	Vodafone	Internet Stick	€ 0.99 / 60 min. € 2.99 / 1 GB over 12 hrs € 9.99 / 1 GB over 7 days	included	€ 29.95
O2 Germany	O2 Germany	Prepaid Surfstick	€ 3.50 / day (1 GB) € 25.00 / month (5 GB)	included	€ 29.99
ProSieben	Vodafone	Web Stick	€ 0.77 / 1 hr € 1.99 / 1 GB over 12 hrs € 3.99 / 1 GB over 3 days € 8.99 / 2 GB over 7 days	included	€ 29.95
Sat.1	Vodafone	Web Stick	€ 0.99 / 1 GB over 1 hr € 1.99 / 1 GB over 12 hrs € 9.99 / 500 MB over 1 month € 29.99 / 2 GB over 1 month	included	€ 29.95
Simyo	E-Plus	Einheitstarif	€ 9.90 / 1 GB over 30 days	€ 9.90	€ 59.50
Tchibo Mobil	O2 Germany	Internet	€ 2.95 / day (1 GB) € 9.95 / 1 month (500 MB) € 19.95 / month (5 GB)	included	€ 19.90
Vodafone	Vodafone	Websessions	€ 0.49 / 15 min. € 3.95 / 1 GB over 24 hrs € 12.95 / 1 GB over 7 days € 39.95 / 3 GB over 1 month	included	€ 29.90
Wetter.com	O2 Germany	Internet Stick	€ 2.95 / day (1 GB) € 9.95 / 1 month (500 MB) € 24.95 / 1 month (5 GB)	included	€29.95