Hi
I have lived in Spain for 6 years. I started off with Telefonica, and then moved to another, Telephone Service Provider - who will remain namless ? for provision of Internet services.
I was with this other Company for almost 2 years. To be frank, from almost the first moment they gave me trouble.
I eventually bit the bullet and stopped my service and went to Telefonica for internet service.
The reason I waited so long, was that I can?t really live without internet, and once I cancelled my service it took them, less than 1 hour to cut off my internet and almost 2 months to release the service so that I could get it reconnected with Telefonica.
The only real problem with Telefonica that I have had, is the language, they don?t speak English, much & the technical department for ADSL (internet) will not speak English.
I can speak some Spanish. When I called the ADSL technicians and asked for someone who speaks English ? the reply I got was ? this is a Spanish only service?. Now I managed to explain what I wanted, what the problem was and ascertain how long and what action would be taken. Yes I understood them and they did do what they said in the time scale they said.
Actually I only did this because the lady on the phone spoke slowly and repeated what she was saying to me, and in a different way when I really did not understand her.
I use Europa Network, for international calls, as this is much cheaper than Telefonica. I also use a prepaid calling card from Powercall Worldwide, which again is cheaper still.
However when I don?t have a card, calling Europe, North America, & Australasia via Europa Network, does not break the bank.
You can dial 1004 on a telefonica telephone and get help in English - you have to shout at the computer English, serveral times, but you will get someone to speak to in Enlgish. If you don’t speak to the computer, it cuts you off, so shout at it - English.
To keep you updated, as of May 2007, I have finally given up with Telefonica, and now don’t use their services at all, not for Telephone / Landline or Broadband / ADSL; just had enough of their behaviour and now us our own systems.
WE now offer both Broadband / ADSL Internet & a Home Phone Service for those of you who can not get a Landline Installed.
Our services are seperate and indpendant of each other. To say that you can purchase either service from us, you do NOT have to have both services.
Our Telephone service, works any where in Spain. However we are based in La Marina, Elche, south of Alicante, and so cover the Costa Blanca, and northern Costa Calida with the Home Phone service.
This is not a Wi-Fi or Voip system. This works and is much cheaper than Telefonica.
The Broadband is a much more local service and is currently operating from Torrevieja, La Marina, Catral, Algorfa, and all points between, and yes it works.
Hope this helps
Roger
UK TV