Getting Internet for Your New Home in Spain

Internet is one of the most basic and essential services in any home, and it will therefore be one of the first things to arrange once you have moved to a new location. This article will explain getting internet (wifi) in your new place in Spain and what aspects to take into consideration.

If you are ShBarcelona client

If you are a monthly rental client in ShBarcelona and your flat doesn’t have internet, don’t worry. Contact your Key Account Manager, he will request an activation of the line with a partner company.

To complete your registration, you have to open a Spanish bank account, there is no need to process the NIE. The monthly fee will cost about 40 € per month.

Nevertheless, if you are renting a long term apartment, you will have to do all the procedure by yourself. Do not panic, in this article you will get all the information you need to make it easier.

What you need for an internet contract

1. Check what kind of fibre coverage there is in your new location, to be able to determine what the best package or rate is.
2. Check where it would be possible to install fibre in your home or where it can enter the main building.
3. The name on the contract must be a private person or a company.
4. You must have a Spanish bank account to pay for the internet services by direct debit.

Necessary documents

If you want to have internet installed or move your current internet contract from an old to a new address, then you must be able to provide the company with the following information and personal details:

• NIE (or DNI for Spanish residents)
• Name, surname, date of birth for the contract holder
• Address where internet needs to be installed
• Telephone number (in case you want to move an existing internet connection)
• A fixed and/or mobile telephone number if you want to keep them both and move them to the new location
• The internet connection number if you want to move it
• A telephone number of the contract holder
• An e-mail address of the contract holder

Fibre optics is the best choice

There are lots of options to choose from on the internet market these days, but currently your best choice is to get an internet connection via fibre optic technology. If this is the type of internet service you would like to contract, then you must take into account the following criteria:

• How many providers are there at the moment, and which one has the best offer when it comes to fibre optic internet? (and the fairest price)
• Make an analysis based on your internet consumption in the past and don’t forget the number of people in your house that use it. If you also need to contract other services (TV, mobile phone number), then an all-in-one contract will probably be more affordable than signing a separate contract for each one of these services.
• Try to determine what internet speed is required for your place, based on your contract and experience in the last couple of months. Most of the time 1GB is more than you will need, and therefore that quantity will be enough.

Related article: Getting a Mains Water Connection in Barcelona: How to And Costs

Fibre optics and considerations

If you want to be absolutely certain that the services you are signing the contract for meet your demands at home, then you must take the following into consideration:

Type of cable

• FTT: at the moment this is the best type of cable available on the market, and it will provide your home with all the megabytes promised in your contract.

Speed

• FTTH cables will give you the same uploading and downloading speed, if that’s what your activities require.

Cable owning company

• Direct: the fibre optic box is installed in your building or your apartment and it belongs to the same company that you are signing the internet contract with.
• Indirect: the internet box dord not belong to the same owner as the company you are signing your internet contract with.

How to choose the best provider when getting internet

Most of us know of the four largest internet providers in Spain, but there are also other options, like low-cost or virtual internet companies that could be of interest to you.

If you want only the best for your home’s internet connection, then the best thing you can do is find out what provider is mostly active in your location. This way you will be guaranteed the maximum coverage for your property’s internet.

You can also contact an internet comparison service, and then a team of experts is at your disposal to give advice and even guide you through the entire process of getting the best or most affordable internet contract for your home.

What is your advice for getting internet in Barcelona? ShBarcelona is curious about your experiences!