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Tep Wireless Review: Internet for Your Travels
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Tep Wireless is a personal, portable hotspot that you can use just about anywhere in the world. I live on the internet and I have a very hard time getting anything done without it, so having a portable hotspot with me on my travels is a must. That’s why on my recent trip to Australia, I decided to try Tep out.
Before we get into this review, you need to know that I didn’t plan on writing this when I went on my trip, so unfortunately I do not have any pictures or videos of the functionality. However, If you do a quick google image search for Tep Wireless, you’ll see what they look like. Now on to the review…
Who Is Tep Wireless?
Tep Wireless is a UK based telecommunications company that provides cheap roaming options for global travelers. In other words, they give you the ability to post selfies on Facebook, Skype with your mom, and hire an Uber driver, while roaming in a foreign or domestic country (for a fee of course).
How It Works
It’s pretty simple really, here’s a step by step:
- Go to tepwireless.com, select “rent now”, and tell them where you are traveling. For most countries, the charge is $7 per day for 150Mb each day. You can also add 100Mb per day for $3.95 each day or just go unlimited for $5.95 more per day. I went with the 150Mb option, because I only used it when I didn’t have access to wifi, which was rare. Also, if it’s your first time signing up for Tep, you get 10% off your order. That works out to an average of $6.30 per day for 150Mb. Compared to the normal charges you would see from roaming, that’s pretty cheap.
- Go through the renting process by letting them know when you will be leaving and when you will be returning. There is an option for insurance, just in case you cosmetically damage the Tep device, that costs $9.99. I wouldn’t suggest getting it, because it doesn’t cover theft, loss, or performance damage to the equipment.
- Now you need to select how you will acquire and return your Tep device. Shipping to the US is about $19.95 (yes I know it’s ridiculous), but the only other option is to pick it up in the London airport, which is free. You also need to select a way to return the device, either a return shipping label ($7.50) or dropping it off at the London airport (free).
- Once you finish your payment, your Tep will be delivered about 3-5 days before your scheduled departure date. Once you receive the device, DO NOT TEST IT OUT. If you try testing it out in the US or wherever you are that is not your destination, you run the risk of starting your allotted Mbs.
- After your trip, simply slip the device into the prepaid shipping envelope and throw it (not literally) in the mail.
Quick Note: For a 14 day rental in Australia with shipping to and from the US and the 10% off coupon, it cost us $115.65.
Why Use It?
Considering that there is wifi almost everywhere you go, the ability to roam is not 100% necessary, however, when we needed internet most in Australia, our Tep device was there for us. This is my first experience using a roaming hotspot in another country, so I didn’t know what I was missing, but now I don’t think I would go on a trip without one. Here are a few examples when Tep was invaluable:
- When there was a public bus pulling up and we weren’t sure if it would take us to our hotel or the other side of town.
- When we were walking around a touristy area and we wanted to find a non-touristy restaurant to eat at.
- When I took the perfect selfie with a kangaroo and I just had to share it on Facebook.
FAQs
Fees
It costs about $7 for 150Mb per day. For $3.95 more, you get 100Mb per day. For $5.95 more, you get an unlimited amount of roaming.
How many people can use it at once?
Five.
What are the speeds like?
The speeds will vary significantly around the world, but Tep Wireless uses 3G (no LTE sadly), so it will be somewhere between 0.2 Mbp/s and 0.8 Mbp/s. It’s not great, but it works.
What happens if you go over your limit?
You will auto renew at the regular rate ($7 for 150Mb, $10.95 for 250Mb). You can turn the auto renew feature off, once you receive your Tep Wireless device.
Are there are any hidden charges?
Nope, which is the best part about it. You pay for the days and the shipping and that’s it. As I mentioned above, if you have auto renew on you can be charged if you go over your limit.
Is it worth getting?
I think so, but that’s really up to you. Do you see yourself in a location without wifi for more than a few hours per day? If so, I would say yes.
For the full list of FAQs, check out this link.
If you have any questions regarding Tep Wireless, let me know in the comments.
