Joel Balderas
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- August 6, 2016
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No problems.How is the cell phone reception/coverage on the camino? Particularly from Sarria to Santiago? What about data is it generally available? If so is it fast or adequate?
Thanks
I phoned every day to make or confirm albergue reservations between Sarriá-Santiago. Never had a problem.
Btw...in the Saint Jean Pied de Port - Roncesvalles stage, when I was approaching the frontier (in the middle, apparently, of nowhere) I received a txt message from the phone company, more or less as: "remember that when you are in Spain, you need to type the prefix xxx". It was a bit unsettling, as if big brother were watching me from the sky.
The only time I lost service was in a little valley west of Pamplona. Probably a blind spot out of sight of phone towers. Positioning info is different - the GPS chip in your phone will tell the phone company and others where you are all the time. Mr Google will know where you are when you use Google maps. And your phone manufacturer. It's not Big Brother, it's just a normal day full of corporations that want your money.How is the cell phone reception/coverage on the camino? Particularly from Sarria to Santiago? What about data is it generally available? If so is it fast or adequate?
Thanks
Yes, you can - turn it off until you need it....take back control of your lives, guysYou can walk but you can't hide.
So how will that work? As soon as you turn your phone back on, the mobile network needs to work out what mobile transmitter (tower) you are going to get best reception from, and then route any calls to that transmitter. This was first and foremost a technical feature required to make any cellular network function properly. And warning you that you have moved so that you appear to be in another country where you could be subject to higher call rates seems to me to be a service, nothing more. Certainly government agencies, like police and intelligence services, have learnt how useful collecting the associated meta-data can be, and want carriers to keep ever increasing amounts of that. That meta-data isn't really something the carriers need to keep for very long (if at all).Yes, you can - turn it off until you need it....take back control of your lives, guys
You are, of course, quite right - but my concern re. the messages is more the intrusion into an otherwise peaceful day. I'm not that bothered whether "they" know where I am, I just don't want my phone giving me any info, until I've sat myself down, with a beer, and am ready to engage with the world at large (briefly, and on my own terms). Sorry for the confusion !So how will that work? As soon as you turn your phone back on, the mobile network needs to work out what mobile transmitter (tower) you are going to get best reception from, and then route any calls to that transmitter. This was first and foremost a technical feature required to make any cellular network function properly. And warning you that you have moved so that you appear to be in another country where you could be subject to higher call rates seems to me to be a service, nothing more.
I agree, it is a useful reminder that concerns about states intruding into our privacy are not new.Apologies for the length of the quote, but I felt it relevant
Joel, I can only speak about Santiago and from there to Muxia and Finisterre. Since I'm from the US, I have Verizon cell service, and I signed up for a month's worth of an International Plan for this trip, allowing certain # of calls, texts, and data. In Santiago, Movistar seemed to be the most common carrier, and all was fine. However, once we left Santiago, I pretty much had no cell service until we returned to Santiago. Wifi would work ok, but no calling. I also had one of my email accounts which didnt work at all; one that did. (The Comcast one worked, but not the Google one). Basically, I could have skipped the International Plan and purchased a SIM card there. Next time, that's what I will do. Madrid, of course, was fine for service. Really, with Wifi and email, I did not miss the service.How is the cell phone reception/coverage on the camino? Particularly from Sarria to Santiago? What about data is it generally available? If so is it fast or adequate?
Thanks
How is the cell phone reception/coverage on the camino? Particularly from Sarria to Santiago? What about data is it generally available? If so is it fast or adequate?
Thanks
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