I'll be living in Prague next year for a few months in an apartment. The most important thing for me is telephone and internet so I can stay on top of my business. I would like to know how to prepare in Prague so when I arrive everything will be in place. 1) Who do I call to get telephone service? (Please list the website as well). 2) What about calling to E.U. countries and the USA? (I've been told calling on a cell phone or even a calling card is less expensive than a land line). What is the best option for me? 3) Where can I get DSL or Cable Modem service? I probably will want cable in the apartment....so is Cable Modem available in Prague? Anything else that would be important for me to know, please tell me. Thanks Marc
Hi Marc, First of all, here's a page for you to look at: http://www.myczechrepublic.com/basics/telecommunications.html I'm not sure if you can get your phone and internet set up before you come to Prague. I think it's theoretically possible but it may be a hassle and you may need to rely on some people's help. My husband and I have recently moved to Prague and we've gone through the process of transferring an existing phone line, setting up a new phone line, and setting up DSL with Czech Telecom (cable is not available in our building). We have also tested the Data Express service by Eurotel (fast internet through a cell phone) and weren't happy with it - this was outside of Prague with worse coverage. Testing the service in Prague required a 2-week wait since they didn't have enough modems to respond to the demand. So we decided to get DSL. There are several DSL providers and I only have experience with Czech Telecom. For starters, Czech Telecom offers two levels of DSL service - Internet Express and Internet Broadband. Internet Express is referred to as "unlimited high-speed Internet" but in fact it's not unlimited. It is cheaper than Broadband but limited as far as how much data you can transfer in a week without being "punished". If you go over Telecom's allowed weekly maximum data transfer, they'll progressively slow your internet connection speed. The cycle starts on Friday when your speed is the highest. If you're used to transferring a lot of data, your speed will be down to dial-up levels by Thursday. With Internet Broadband, you choose the amount of data you want to be able to transfer per month (plus you can pay for any overages) and your speed will be guaranteed to stay the same for the whole month. You also have the option to get a static IP address. When we applied for Internet Express, it took Telecom about five days to get it set up. A month later, we applied for Broadband and it took them two days to set it up - pretty nice. Both are cancellable with a one-month notice. Czech Telecom. They have the monopoly. Luckily, their customer service is great in most cases (the prices aren't). Phone: 800 123 456 (free if calling from the Czech Republic; English-speaking operators available) If you're going to be renting an apartment, a phone line may very well already be there, probably under the owner's name. Some apartments come with DSL/cable internet although those are not very many. In order to get cable internet, cable hookup needs to be available in the building. Not all buildings in Prague have cable available. In that case, you're left with DSL. You first need to make sure that DSL can be set up on the phone line that's in the apartment. The coverage is pretty good in Prague, so you shouldn't have a problem. You can find out by calling 800 123 456 and giving them the phone number on which you want DSL installed. You can also check a phone number online here. If you want to have DSL set up, you have to be the owner of the phone line. If the phone line is owned by your landlord, you have three options: 1) Ask the landlord to set up DSL under his name. This would be a good way for you to get things arranged before you even arrive. 2) Agree with the landlord to have the phone line transferred under your name (it's free) for the duration of your stay. Once it's transferred, you can apply for DSL under your name. 3) Set up a completely new phone line under your name. You'll need a written consent of the apartment owner to have a new line set up in the apartment. It costs money - I'm not sure how much - and it may not be worth it for you if you're only going to stay for a few months. We use Xcall and Vonage and are happy with both - good prices, good quality. See the above. Good luck! Dana
Hi, For calls to and from the Czech Republic you can try http://www.callingcardshome.com. I have been using them for 6 months to call to Prague and saved a lot and the service looks ok so far. You need to get 2 cards - one to call TO a destination and another one to call FROM. Check the website, I'm sure you'll figure it out... Good luck!
An alternative to Vonage is Skype which would give you about 10 hours call time from your PC to any phone in the world for 10 Euros, without a monthly commitment.
I must be missing something, who would want Cesky Telecom, they are outrageously overpriced. I too phone worldwide daily, and it is definetely cheaper to use my mobile phone. To the states costs me about 13 cents per min. Internet, I have UPC broadband @ 512 (so they say) and Klasik television, about 40 channels, price monthly is 1699 ( a real rip off compared to the states, my sister is close to T1 speed for 25 bucks a month) I remember using Cesky T. for dial up about 5 years ago, I was paying per min and rarely on, around 5,000 kc per month. The heck with that company...no one uses a landline any longer, not even to fax...just my 2 cents :}
