Prepaid Mobile Data Options

[AlexanderB]

Hello,

In light of occasionally unreliable power and sometimes flaky fixed-line broadband in Buenos Aires, it would be nice to have a backup 3G/HSPA+ data connection of some description.

My assumption is that I can get a prepaid SIM with a data+voice tariff of some kind, from Claro/Personal/Movistar, and tether through my smartphone. I have an Android smartphone, which uses the same APN for both tethered and native data, so it shouldn't be a problem from the standpoint of carrier policing. However, some carriers do greatly restrict the bandwidth available to mobile devices to encourage sales of USB GSM modems/dongles.

Speed isn't a particular concern; my activities are probably, among the great masses of Internet users, exceptionally low-bandwidth. Consistent latency (not even necessarily low, just consistent) and good coverage interest me more.

Any advice on this would be appreciated, along with any insights on what I can expect price-wise, who seems to have the most reliable data network, etc.

Thank you in advance!

P.S. I also can't find any information on how to recharge prepaid mobile accounts, though I'm probably not looking in the right place. Here in Yerevan, for instance, you can't do it online (well, not with a mainstream credit card), but there are ubiquitous touchscreen kiosks on practically every street corner that you can use to pay a variety of utility bills and re-up balances for all three mobile operators. Just insert cash.

 

[Raymond]

"P.S. I also can't find any information on how to recharge prepaid mobile accounts, though I'm probably not looking in the right place."

Most kioskos have prepay cards for the main companies (Claro, Personal, Movistar) be aware that if you ask "do you have prepay cards?" many will say no...
this doesn´t mean you cannot get your phone prepay recharged there. They probably have virtual system where you give them your number and they do it via their eftpos machine.
The service aspect of business is that they are there, not that they are trying to do commerce. In some instances they will turn down business if they don´t have enough small change rather than aquire more small change. Es dificil.

 

[PVG1975]

Alex, I have an android phone and bought a little application called Easy Tether at the Android Market... with Personal, I pay $1 per day for 3G and connect my computer to it... I gotta tell you the speed is awesome, it is even faster than Speedy.

 

[AlexanderB]

Alex, I have an android phone and bought a little application called Easy Tether at the Android Market... with Personal, I pay $1 per day for 3G and connect my computer to it... I gotta tell you the speed is awesome, it is even faster than Speedy.

Are you unable to take advantage of the tethering capability built into the Android OS itself?

 

[demokritos]

Alex, I have an android phone and bought a little application called Easy Tether at the Android Market... with Personal, I pay $1 per day for 3G and connect my computer to it... I gotta tell you the speed is awesome, it is even faster than Speedy.

Just a heads up, I also have Personal (iphone 4s), 3g/Edge coverage is incredibly inconsistent and generally extremely slow in most of CABA in my experience. Where are you getting good bandwidth?

 

[Joe]

I got a Movistar prepaid chip but even if i turn on data, it doesn't seem to allow data.

Do some of the companies offer data (on prepaid SIM) and some do not?

Or do you need to buy a special prepaid SIM for data?

What is the best options for a prepaid SIM that offers data?

 

[TomAtAlki]

I got a Movistar prepaid chip but even if i turn on data, it doesn't seem to allow data.

Do some of the companies offer data (on prepaid SIM) and some do not?

Or do you need to buy a special prepaid SIM for data?

What is the best options for a prepaid SIM that offers data?

With Personal I just do a restart of my iPhone and the data starts working. T/