Mobile phone, India, data

Mupette

Hi, I think this is the right place for help.

I will be in India for a month in August.

Now i need data to keep in contact with family back home, as the wifi i will have access to is a bit flakey.

When i say i need data, i mean i will need a lot, making video's and uploading, world of warcraft.. Now before any judgement posts are made, i will be in hospital there for a month, and the internet will be my lifeline back home to family and friends.

What's the best way to get data?

Thank you.

Pollycat

Mupette
I'd ask on the India board of Tripadvisor.

Hope the op (or whatever it is) goes well.

bigadaj

Mupette wrote: »

Hi, I think this is the right place for help.

I will be in India for a month in August.

Now i need data to keep in contact with family back home, as the wifi i will have access to is a bit flakey.

When i say i need data, i mean i will need a lot, making video's and uploading, world of warcraft.. Now before any judgement posts are made, i will be in hospital there for a month, and the internet will be my lifeline back home to family and friends.

What's the best way to get data?

Thank you.

I'd have thought wifi in India would be far better than data packages given the likely infrastructure available.

Mupette

Pollycat wrote: »

Mupette
I'd ask on the India board of Tripadvisor.

Hope the op (or whatever it is) goes well.

Thanks Pollycat, didn't know that existed

HSCT - aka stem cell transplant nervous and scared but then this could be the new beginning for a better me without disability

Voyager2002

My findings:

1. any kind of roaming with a UK SIM (whether data or voice) is absurdly expensive;

2. data through a local mobile network usually worked pretty well, obviously so long as there was a decent signal. Mind you I only used it for simple things like maps, email, Facebook and Uber. In the cities there is usually a 4G connection available;

3. the problem is that the process for getting a local SIM card is incredibly bureaucratic, and always took me around three weeks!

All in all, your best option is to rely on local contacts; friendly nurses, people like that.

My best wishes for your medical procedure: I hope that you will post about the whole experience, and how your life changes afterwards.

budgetflyer

We have always just got by with WiFi however this article http://www.path2yoga.net/2011/05/how-to-stay-connected-with-mobile.html?m=1. Explains the process pretty well.

PeteDoff

As above going through 'official channels' is a nightmare, passport photos, forms to fill in, verification by contacting your residence etc etc. Just find a local to register one for you to 'borrow'.
Don't forget someone will have to top it up if you are using lots of data, online top-up needs an Indian bank account.

Apart from that it's easy.

PeteDoff

Forgot to mention,

India has a system of National Roaming. If you get a sim card from one area and use it in another you might need to enable data roaming.

Ames

Have you contacted the hospital to see if they have wifi?

Doshwaster

bigadaj wrote: »

I'd have thought wifi in India would be far better than data packages given the likely infrastructure available.

My experience of mobile networks in India is that the coverage is often better than it is here. In many areas they don't have any landlines so have invested in a good mobile network. They also far fewer planning restrictions on where they can put masts.

I got a better data connection half way up a mountain than I get in my house.

bigadaj

Doshwaster wrote: »

My experience of mobile networks in India is that the coverage is often better than it is here. In many areas they don't have any landlines so have invested in a good mobile network. They also far fewer planning restrictions on where they can put masts.

I got a better data connection half way up a mountain than I get in my house.

In theory yes, but in practice I haven't experienced any Indian infrastructure that works well.

The rigid caste structure overlain by a raj view of the world has led to the bureaucratic nightmare that exists in many areas of business.

Most infrastructure is still a challenge to say the least, roads are chaotic, trains slow and delayed, airports leave a lot to be desired.

Many of the people are great and stuff like top end hotels wholly in the private sector manage to work very well, but my experience of mobile networks wasn't great.