Unlimited Data sims

I have been using both Vodafone and Melita prepaid SIM cards exclusively for internet access through tethering and haven't had any problems. They aren't unlimited in the sense that you pay a flat fee upfront and get to use it as much as you like. Vodafone offers 3 GB at 20 Euro, I'm currently using Melita's 350 MB (valid for 7 days), cost is 2.50 EUR.

I am not aware of any truly unlimited mobile internet packages.

There's also Melita's "Total Connect" plan where you get 10 GB for 10 EUR/month, but you have to be a Melita customer with a home internet connection in your name in order to be eligible. I found it easier and more economical to pay 2.50 EUR per 350 MB and to renew when needed.

As far as I remember the Vodafone 3 GB is valid for 1 month and you can unlimited renew it, like the Melita one. It seems that Melita is a cheaper option for that service but if you are going to use a lot of GB the need to renew the service for every 350 MB might be a little bit annoying.

By the way, is there any relevant difference of 3G coverage between Vodafone, Melita and GO?

These maps have to be wrong;
Melita: http://www.sensorly.com/map/2G-3G/MT/Ma … /gsm_27877
Vodafone: http://www.sensorly.com/map/2G-3G/MT/Ma … /gsm_27801
GO: http://www.sensorly.com/map/2G-3G/MT/Malta/GO/gsm_27821

Indeed I read that Vodafone is said to have to have the better reception and that the best coverage is in places such as Sliema and Valletta.

I'm going to be in a hotel for a month I think. Is tethering the cheapest option ?

t.i.a

You can also get the Liberty Max pay monthly plan (12GB per 25€)
but for just 1 month does not seem to be a valid solution. Indeed Melita's Total Connect Price Plan is much cheaper but you have the same problem, you need to become a client paying monthly, but if you just need it for a month...

GO has very similar prices than Vodafone http://www.go.com.mt/gomobile/on_your_smartphone.cfm

SunshineLover2011 wrote:

I'm going to be in a hotel for a month I think. Is tethering the cheapest option ?

t.i.a

The *cheapest* option would be to make use of the free MCA Wifi hotspots (there's a nice map on the MCA web site). While there are plenty of them around Malta/Gozo, they are inherently insecure (eavesdropping...), so I wouldn't use them to transfer sensitive data. Depending on how you use the internet, you could combine the two options (tethering/mobile internet for email etc., Wifi for large downloads, Youtube...). Alternatively, you could do those things through an Internet cafe that offers Wifi where you're being charged depending on usage time, not the amount of transferred data. Might even be faster.

Is your hotel offering some sort of internet access? If you're staying for a month during the low season, you might be able to get a decent deal(?)

Lusco wrote:

By the way, is there any relevant difference of 3G coverage between Vodafone, Melita and GO?

About a year ago I had very bad 3G connection with GO. Nowadays I'm using Vodafone (in my smartphone) and Melita (laptop) and haven't had any connection problems with either of them. It's difficult to compare though since the smartphone gets around a lot more than the laptop. I have been using the Melita SIM mostly in the St Julian's/Sliema/San Gwann area for about five weeks now. Even though I have disabled 2G fallback I can't recall losing the connection, not even on bus rides to Mater Dei/Naxxar/Birkirkara.