In October 2008, O2 Germany has started offering their standard data packs also for prepaid customers on their prepaid SIM card offering called LOOP. The following options are available:

• Internet Pack S: 30 MB, € 5/month, 0.5 euros per MB afterwards
  
• Internet Pack M: unlimited, € 10/month, throttling after 200 MB to GPRS-speed (note: Tchibo offers 500 MB billed in 400KB-increments on the same network but 0,05 € cheaper)
• Internet Pack L: unlimited, € 25/month, throttling after 5 GB to GPRS-speed (note: Tchibo offers absolutley the same tariff on the same network for € 5,05 less)

In O2 shops a new prepaid LOOP SIM card costs € 15 with (only) € 1 of initial credit. Consequently, for data usage it's necessary to buy a top-up as well. A € 15-top up is valid for 6 months. However LOOP SIMs are regulalry sold at the big electronic retailer chains (e.g. Saturn, Mediamarkt) for less than € 5.
Update: Since May 2009 the new o2o prepaid card is sold -from some retailers LOOP cards are still available. The Internet Packs prices are the same, but o2o and LOOP prices for calls and messages differ.

Packs are activated by sending an SMS to 5667 with the following content

• START INTERNET S
  
• START INTERNET M
  
• START INTERNET L

You have to send "JA INTERNET S" (or "M", "L", depending the package you want to use) to 5667 again to confirm the Internet Package.

Top-up vouchers are sold in many places like supermarkets, gas stations, kiosks or in O2 shops and also online at https://secure.verivox.de/cards/index.asp?Lang=eng (payable by credit card). Make sure you have successfully enable the option before use, otherwise your calling credit is deducted by time of using GPRS (instead of the amount of data).

Use the following commands to manage your credit:
check account (including remaining data allowance) *100# [pick up]
check current credit *101# [pick up]
check validity of SIM *102# [pick up]
recharge credit *103*voucher code# [pick up]

It's also possible to book the packs by calling 5667 and activating/deactivating the option in the voice-guided menu (in German).

The activation will usually be confirmed by SMS within seconds.

The booked packs are recurring monthly unless stopped by:

• STOP INTERNET S
  
• STOP INTERNET M
  
• STOP INTERNET L

If there is not enough credit left the subscription will be stopped automatically and may be reactivated after recharge as described above. Note: Should STOP not work try STOPP (double 'P' as indicated on this web page)

To change between different packs cancel the old pack first and then order the new pack. Further details (in German) can be found here.

APN: pinternet.interkom.de

Note that O2 will accept any APN so you don't have to change your settings on the PC or phone. (successfully verified this in October 2008



internet experience

• As the only German operator O2 has officially allowed VoIP-usage on their network without any additional costs, whereas T-Mobile and Vodafone prohibit VoIP in their terms & conditions and have announced to introduce special VoIP-enabled data tariffs. Allthough T-Mobile and Vodafone have not yet actually blocked VoIP, this may become reality when VoIP-enabled data tariffs will be introduced.

misc

• To find an o2 shop have a look here.
• To check how much data was already used dial *100#, select "Pack Manager", "Pack Status" then select your Internet pack and select "Detail". (It is possible to call the O2 service hotline and ask them how much you have used.)
• According to the fine print it's not possible to activate the pack again within the subscribed month if the data volume has been used up.