Best mobile phone provider

[Robert]

We're down to just a few weeks before we permanently arrive in Cyprus so are now starting to think of the more mundane things we'll need to do after getting a long term rental home, buying a modest car and securing private health insurance. One of those is a mobile phone. From what I can see there seem to be three main providers Cyta, Primetel and MTN. I'll provide my own phone and don't use it that often. Currently the best deal seems to be Primetel which have an offer of EUR7.90 per month for 150mins, 150sms and 500MB.

Do any posters use Primetel? Would you recommend them? Is the coverage ok?

Do any posters have a different provider they'd recommend?

[smudger]

Not WiFi or internet then?! Not telly addicts!?? Could be an implication re your phone provider.

[Robert]

Not WiFi or internet then?! Not telly addicts!?? Could be an implication re your phone provider.

We will need internet but I don't think we necessarily need a landline phone. Don't yet know if we'll use Primetel or Cyta or a WISP provider. Bundling doesn't seem overly cost effective though. For example Primetel 4-in-1 is currently EUR59.90 per month for 10 MBPS internet, television will be useless for us as we don't (yet) speak Greek so will get UK TV elsewhere, fixed line telephone not required and then the mobile is a similar 150mins package.

Primetel then sell landline with 8MBPS internet (I think that's enough to stream TV?) for EUR24.90. Add the EUR7.90 mobile and O'm still ahead of the bundling.

Would you share how you're bundling?

[smudger]

Robert I'm with Cytanet, have been the 13 years I've lived here.i have a package through SOS computers in Chlorakas for my tv, but it's still routed through Cytanet.

Might be useful to pop into SOS to get Brian's advice, he's a real gem

Good luck!.

[Robert]

Robert I'm with Cytanet, have been the 13 years I've lived here.i have a package through SOS computers in Chlorakas for my tv, but it's still routed through Cytanet.

Might be useful to pop into SOS to get Brian's advice, he's a real gem

Good luck!.

Thanks for tip smudger. How many mbps are you using?

[JimX]

We get 20MB from Cyta, it is more expensive than the UK but it is swings and roundabouts, my choice these days is to go with Cyta, their offices also sells mobiles phones and they will set them up for you. If you are to use Streaming TV like most of us do now, then the faster service is probably best to go with (20MB), You do not say if you are renting or you have purchased your new home here, if renting you will probably have to go with a privateer, try Holitec service, but you have a Cyta permanent connection, I would go with that.

Hope your move out here is all you expect and good luck.

[Dominic]

We're with Cyta and don't have a problem. Nice fast broadband and decent mobile.

[Oxfordboy]

I'm with Cyta for internet and MTN for mobile. No problems or complaints about either.

[Robert]

We get 20MB from Cyta, it is more expensive than the UK but it is swings and roundabouts, my choice these days is to go with Cyta, their offices also sells mobiles phones and they will set them up for you. If you are to use Streaming TV like most of us do now, then the faster service is probably best to go with (20MB), You do not say if you are renting or you have purchased your new home here, if renting you will probably have to go with a privateer, try Holitec service, but you have a Cyta permanent connection, I would go with that.

Hope your move out here is all you expect and good luck.

Many thanks for the wishes Jim - we're really looking forward to the adventure. Our hope/dream is it becomes permanent but of course you never know. For the first year we'll rent just in case, after which we'd look to buy.

Can I ask why you're going as high as 20MB? I ask as I would have thought for a bit of TV streaming plus some web surfing 8-10MB would have been enough. Cyta have 10MB at EUR43.95 and 20MB at EUR49.00 currently. I work on the principle that every little helps which others might call me being tight For Primetel the gap is even wider with 8MB at EUR24.90 and 20MB at EUR34.90 per month.

[Robert]

We're with Cyta and don't have a problem. Nice fast broadband and decent mobile.

I'm with Cyta for internet and MTN for mobile. No problems or complaints about either.

Thanks for sharing.
Oxfordboy, is the network coverage for MTN ok?

[Oxfordboy]

No issues on MTN coverage over the last two years since we moved back. I have never had a situation where I couldn't get a signal, if that's what you mean. I have 4G in where I live in Argaka and had 4G in Peyia where we were before, and obviously other bigger towns and villages. This may help:

http://www.mtn.com.cy/en/general/compan ... -4g-cover/

For the record, I have no vested interest in MTN, but I was with them for years when I lived in South Africa, so it was a brand I knew well when we moved here!

[MacManiac]

We have 10Mb from Cyta, and for a long time that was fine for streaming in HD. However some suppliers are supplying a number of channels (even where they say it is HD) in FHD, and we sometimes struggle to stream those channels as we would like. We don’t have a landline and don’t need one. So, for us, 10Mb is €39,95 a month (what Cyta call a “naked line”) and 20Mb is only €5,00 more. Our house has just been rewired with Cat 6, and I think an upgrade to 20Mb would be sensible.

[JimX]

Robert, you ask this:: Can I ask why you're going as high as 20MB? I ask as I would have thought for a bit of TV streaming plus some web surfing 8-10MB would have been enough. Cyta has 10MB at EUR43.95 and 20MB at EUR49.00 currently. I work on the principle that every little helps which others might call me being tight For Primetel the gap is even wider with 8MB at EUR24.90 and 20MB at EUR34.90 per month.

I do use two MAG streaming devices one is in a dedicated TV room, most streaming units need at least 4 to 5MB (normally) but can run on less, the faster speed was a free upgrade from Cyta some time back, not sure if you can have direct Cyta it may depend on your rental having the facility included.

regards

[Robert]

No issues on MTN coverage over the last two years since we moved back. I have never had a situation where I couldn't get a signal, if that's what you mean. I have 4G in where I live in Argaka and had 4G in Peyia where we were before, and obviously other bigger towns and villages. ...

Many thanks Oxfordboy. We love the area between Latchi and Argaka so it's particularly good to know coverage is good around there.

We have 10Mb from Cyta, and for a long time that was fine for streaming in HD. However some suppliers are supplying a number of channels (even where they say it is HD) in FHD, and we sometimes struggle to stream those channels as we would like. ...

Definitely something to think about as I guess that problem is only going to get worse with time.

I do use two MAG streaming devices one is in a dedicated TV room, most streaming units need at least 4 to 5MB (normally) but can run on less, the faster speed was a free upgrade from Cyta some time back, not sure if you can have direct Cyta it may depend on your rental having the facility included.

Thanks for clarifying how and why you've ended up with 20MB Jim.

From all of the helpful sharing in this post it's starting to look like a Primetel Mobile contract at EUR7.90 and a Primetel 10MB (with MacManiac FHD warning ringing in my ears) internet contract at EUR29.90 is for us (if our yet to be sourced rental allows). Bundling those doesn't seem to save any monthly costs but they do then waive some 'registration fees'. Thanks everyone!

[smudger]

Robert, I'm on 20mbps for €32.42 per month inc VAT and very happy with it. I too benefitted from the free Cyta upgrades. You will be surprised just how slow the system can be at times, so I'd go for the highest Mbps you can manage, particularly if you're streaming tv, which most of us do.