Internet
What Is a Pocket WiFi? How Does It Work? And How to Use It
In this post, we will deeply explore what Pockets WiFi are, how they work, how much they cost, and what are the alternatives.
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We know that an internet connection is something indispensable nowadays and even more when you go on a trip, and you can’t miss a minute of connection with your family or work. So if it’s the first time you go to Italy, you may be wondering how to connect to the internet there, but that’s what we have this article for. Here we will tell you all about how to get cellular internet in Italy, its alternatives and costs.
Whether you are in the hotel working or taking a nice walk through the beautiful Italian cities you will always have an internet connection with the alternatives that we will present to you. We will also tell you their disadvantages and advantages so that you leave with a broad vision of what it means to acquire any of them.
Table of Contents
- Cell Phone data in Italy
- Tariffs for Internet in Italy
- Unlimited data eSIM for Italy
- How to get internet in Italy with your operator?
- Pocket WiFi for internet in Italy
- Pocket Wi-Fi providers for Italy
- Public WiFi offering Internet in Italy
- Map of Internet coverage in Italy
- Our recommendation
- Frequently asked questions about the Internet in Italy
Cell Phone data in Italy
Connecting to a cellular network in Italy is not complex; in fact, there are even free ways to do it, such as Wi-Fi hotspots, although they are not very secure. But during this article, we will tell you about the different options, such as SIM cards for Italy, Pocket Wi-Fi, eSIMs, international roaming, and free Wi-Fi hotspots.
Tariffs for Internet in Italy
In the table below, you will find each of the base tariffs for the services we mentioned and some main operators in the world.
| Service | Internet tariff in Italy |
| eSIM Italy | Unlimited data for 15 days at $47 USD |
| T-Mobile US carrier roaming | $60 USD 50GB per month |
| Telstra Australia carrier roaming | $3.00/MB |
| O2 UK carrier roaming | $5.64 USD per day |
| AT&T USA carrier roaming | $2.05/MB |
| Pocket WiFi | 1GB at 7.90€ / day. The minimum you can rent the Pocket is 3 days. |
| Public WiFi | Free |
Unlimited data eSIM for Italy
One of the quickest and easiest ways to connect to the internet is to buy an eSIM for Italy. These are cards that work completely virtually, and the favorite smartphones for these virtual chips are iPhones, as most of these devices are compatible with eSIMs.
Moreover, through the Holafly online shop, you can purchase one from anywhere in the world in a couple of minutes. All you have to do is go to Holafly’s official website, choose the eSIM for Italy, complete the purchase form, and you’ll receive an email in a few minutes to activate your eSIM.
When using these eSIMs, having access to unlimited data is surely a top feature. But what if we tell you you can also get access to phone calls? And don’t worry. You won’t have to change your phone number! This is something possible thanks to the Holafly phone number that comes with eSIMs!
eSIM rates for traveling to Italy
- Unlimited data for 5 days at $19 USD
- Unlimited data for 15 days at $47 USD
- Unlimited data for 20 days at $54 USD
- Unlimited data for 30 days at $64 USD
How to get internet in Italy with your operator?
Depending on the country you are traveling from, your operator will have a tariff for you to connect to the cellular internet in Italy. Some of these phone companies offer their customers special rates or bonuses, as long as they meet requirements such as having the most expensive postpaid plan or buying daily packages.
Now we are going to show you the prices that the main US, UK, and Australia operators have for you to connect to the Internet in Italy using your usual SIM card.
Cellular internet in Italy with T-Mobile USA
T-Mobile has different plans depending on the user’s needs. The company’s plans cover more than 210 countries. T-mobile offers 50GB at $60 USD, 100GB at $70 USD, and unlimited data plans at $85 USD, each of these plans calculated on a monthly basis.
Mobile internet in Italy with Telstra Australia
This company offers unlimited calls and messages, and 500 MB of data for $5 USD per day for New Zealand. On the other hand, for many other countries around the world, the price for the same plan is $10 USD per day.
On the other hand, the company also allows you to use its data services with a pay-as-you-go plan, the price of which varies depending on the destination, but it is usually around $3 USD per MB.
Cellular internet in Italy with O2 UK
O2 UK offers their O2 Travel Bolt On plan; it is the perfect way to stay connected if you are traveling outside the European area. This package is priced at $5.64 USD per day in selected destinations outside Europe. And that gives you all the data you need, and you can also make calls and send texts. There is no maximum data usage limit, but speeds may vary.
Mobile internet in Italy with AT&T USA
With AT&T USA, you will find a roaming rate of $2.05/MB for Italy, although they are also handling some packages that include voice, messaging, and data, so you may want to contact them to inquire about these.
Pocket WiFi for internet in Italy
Getting to know the streets of Italy is a wonderful and amazing experience, but if you plan to spend a lot of time out in this beautiful country, maybe Pocket Wi-Fi isn’t for you. These portable routers usually have a battery life of 3 to 8 hours, and the more people connect to them, the faster they will drain, which is why several companies that offer this type of service recommend keeping the Pocket turned off when not in use.
In addition, most providers usually charge for rental and data usage in addition to the cost of shipping and return, so a single day’s router rental can be worth about the same as a SIM card for a week.
Pocket Wi-Fi providers for Italy
Travelers Wifi
A portable router with this company costs $12.32 USD per day for 2 GB per day; the minimum you can rent it for is three days. Their service is usually in English, and their shipping cost is $31.99 USD. You will also be responsible for all costs of returning the Pocket.
If you exceed the daily usage of 2 GB, the speed will be reduced to 512 kbps until the next day.
My Webspot
The Pocket Wi-Fi service with My Webspot for Italy costs $10.06 dollars per day with access to 1 GB per day. When the daily limit is reached, the speed will be reduced until the next day. The minimum you can rent the Pocket with them is three days, and if you wish to purchase insurance for loss, damage, or theft, you will have to pay an extra $17.97 dollars.
However, if you lose it even if you have the insurance, you will have to pay $101.74 dollars, as this only covers part of it. If you lose the router, and you have not bought the insurance, the price to pay would be $203.48 dollars.
Public WiFi offering Internet in Italy
Finding public Wi-Fi hotspots is not a problem nowadays and even less so in European countries that have a perfect internet connection, so; that you can find this type of service in museums, parks, cafés, restaurants, shopping centers, department stores, and even in your hotel, so you could contact them and ask if they provide this service, and you can access it.
However, although it is very easy to connect to these free networks, it is not the most advisable; it is cheap because they are free, but they are also very insecure because anyone can access them, and these Wi-Fi spots do not have sufficient security as they are public networks. So, anyone could steal your data. If you use this service, we recommend that you do not log in to your bank accounts.
Map of Internet coverage in Italy
Terrestrial coverage (fixed internet or home)
3G or 4G coverage
Our recommendation
What we recommend the most when traveling abroad and what we use the most when roaming is the Holafly unlimited eSIM for Italy, which is quite easy to buy and install. Holafly offers a top service when it comes to mobile internet in Italy, and as soon as you arrive in Italy, you will have an internet connection available! Therefore, no more worries when trying to order an Uber or taxi.
You won’t have to charge anything else apart from your cellphone, and you will only run out of data if your cellphone runs out of charge. And this is possible thanks to the Italy eSIM!
Frequently asked questions about the Internet in Italy
We hope all the information in this article has helped you choose the best alternative for you. Here are the answers to some questions that will help you to complement the information about data in Italy.
What network frequencies operate in Italy?
In Italy, you will find network frequencies at 700, 800, 900, 900, 1500, 1800, 2100, 2600, 3500, and 3700.
What telephone companies are there in Italy?
The main operators in Italy are Vodafone, Wind Tre, and Iliad.
What kind of networks exists in Italy?
The networks in Italy are 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G, so you shouldn’t have any connection problems.
