Overview:

There is a prepaid SIM available from a new operator called Yoigo to keep up with the mobile web. Yoigo is a 3G operator with attractive rates for both voice and data. Voice calls are € 0.14/minute within Spain to both landline and mobile numbers and international calls are € 0.30/minute to anywhere except Cuba, Somalia and North Korea.

Best of all data, both WAP and web, is € 0.0012/KB and data charges are capped at € 1.20/per day, (plus tax = 1.39 per day), no matter how much you use. There is also a € 6.00/month minimum charge.

Yoigo primarily uses its own 3G network which covers the larger cities of Spain but has weak coverage outside the metropolitan areas. It has roaming agreements with Vodafone and Movistar. For both roaming partners there seems to be speed limits for data communication.

Connection Details:

APN: Internet (no username, no password)
Wap Gateway (not needed): 10.8.0.36

Misc:

To check current balance dial *111#

A 2G/3G coverage map of Yoigo can be found here.

According to reports no ports are blocked so notebook access should be fine. Checked in August 2007 and all ports I tried were open (http, POP, SMTP, Shozu picture upload, IPSec VPN tunnel)

This ressource points out that SIMs can be bought at 'The Phone House' stores (http://www.thephonehouse.es). For locations see their store locator. I tried myself and the staff was very helpful.

Carrefour supermarkets sell Yoigo as well. The SIM was ready to use after about 15 minutes.

An ID is needed to buy the SIM. The price is 20€ including 20€ of credit.

Madrid is covered by Yoigo with a 3G network but HSDPA has not been available at the end of August 2007 (checked with a Motorola V3xx).

The SIM works both with a phone and the notebook. Billing stops as advertised at €1.39 a day and any other traffic afterwards is 'free' for the day. Thus, if the card is used daily, Internet access costs (31 days * 1.39) €43,- a month.

Note: In Germany, Yoigo's roaming partner for prepaid cards (e.g. to check the balance) is ePlus