This is a length two-part question, but anyone interested in Internet connections in Spain, this should cover you, and I'm sure Jeremy knows best:

1. I've heard mixed comments concerning ADSL's reliability in Spain, which leads to the following:

a. What is the typical wait time to get ADSL installed by Telefonica or another Spanish Tel company, 2 weeks - 2months?

b. What is the typical monthly cost for ADSL in Spanish Pesetas and what "type of service" covers 784kbps speed? I heard there were 4 types of service (4 speeds).

c. Someone else mentioned retevision.es for a similar service, but do not know if this is cable or another phone company? Anyone have any good or bad comments on retevision?

d. How realible is ADSL or Cable? How often do they experience downtime?

PART II

If anyone is familiar with Earthlink (or similar U.S. ISP service) they have nationwide access numbers that can be utilized anywhere in the U.S. (even Hawaii) and it's all included in the monthly unlimited usage access fee. Before I go on any trip (in the U.S. and Canada), I know what town I'm going to, and simply look up on the Internet what telephone number's Earthlink has in that city (like I went to Vancouver B.C. a little over a month ago and had no problems with an access number).

Therefore, when I goto Hawaii, I simply dial a local Hawaii phone number from my Hotel, family member's house or via my laptop modem and I don't get charged any long distance phone fees - I can check email, conduct business, etc. all for the $19.95 per month unlimited fee. It's great!

Is there any kind of a company in Spain (or Europe) that is similar, in that if I'm in different cities in Spain for a week traveling, or if I decide to goto Paris for the weekend, etc. that I can phone a local EU
number (Paris number) to access the Internet, but am not charged any long
distance fees?

While there may not be an EU service like this, is there at least a Spanish one (so I can use any local access number in any city in Spain)?

I'm planning to travel up and down the Costa Brava quite a bit.

Thank you!

EDR

Cool , my first technical post! Ok edr, you really know how to put a guy on the spot. I just happen to have lived this all very closely so here gooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeesssssssss...
Telef�nica here loves to confuse the hell out of the users of their services and in reality, the ADSL line is offered by 2 entities within the corporate group, "Terra" and "Infonegocio" (Terra being geared towards individuals and Infonegocio for businesse) but for all intensive purposes, it is all the same!
There are 3 (not 4 as far as I know) different ADSL services (speeds) and, of course, prices go up as speed increases:
1) Standard: in = 256 Kbps / out = 128 Kbps (costs 6,500 pesetas/month).
2) Class: in = 512 Kbps / out = 128 Kbps (costs 13,996 pesetas/month).
3) Premium: in = 2MBps / out = 512 Kbps (costs 27,328 pesetas/month).
Setup fees (called "alta") also vary depending on the plan, more info and prices at http://www.terra.es/adsl .
I do not know what it is like in the U.S.A. these days but here in Spain you NEVER get the speed you pay for. I have the "Standard" plan and am usually downloading at around 130-150 Kbps (not near the promised 256). Also keep in mind that very often they come out with deals during which the setup fee is waived and this can save some serious bucks.

On the point of reliability, I have had my line for 2 weeks now and it has been perfect (knock on virtual wood!). Apparently, the folks at Telef�nica have gotten this thing under control and the line does not crash anymore. When they were starting to use ADSL in Madrid, they had crashes of up to days on end and lost a lot of credibility (not to mention clients). This has coaxed them into offering special deasl so people will stay with the line for longer. For example, I got in last month on a great deal that is now over. My installation was free (saving me over 20,000 pesetas), plus, if I stick with the line for 6 months, I will get back 22,000 of the 30,000 pesetas that my 3com modem/router cost me. It was a deal I could not turn down!

Installation of the ADSL line took only 10 days in my case but I think I got lucky, I have friends and colleagues who have waited up to 6 months but that was when they were just starting to put these lines in. These days I would "guestimate" a wait of a month to get the line. Rumor has it that they also install the line for companies faster than they do for individuals.
The most annoying practice of Telef�nica is that when they install the router, they block the ports and do not leave either the users manual nor the CD wioth the drivers. They veritably take control of the router away from the client. I have had to get the manual and drivers from the 3com website. Plus, in order to stream my webcam I am going to have to unblock the ports on my router which Telef�nica says will void my measly 6 month warranty with them in case anything goes wrong (big fat hairy deal!). Thank god for news groups online that have loads of info on how to get around these shady practices of Telef�nica.

The only company offering cable access here is Madridtel (www.madritel.com) and they are the ones responsable for the tearing apart of the streets of Madrid to lay their fiber otic cables, etc... They have various plans as well ranging from 100 MB to 1 GB data transfer per month form the www to your PC. If you use more than your plan allows, there is a per MB charge. As for reliability, I have yet to hear of any Cable down time.

I do not know much about the Retevision ADSL offer but I do know that Jazztel (www.jazztel.com) offers an ADSL line. My plan would have cost me 10,000 pesetas/month with them. I was actually told that they are more reliable with the ADSL line than Telef�nica but I went with the lower price and the free installation deal knowing that if I am not happy I can always switch over.

Part 2 is a bit easier, DREAM ON BUDDY . As a famous little gal once said, "We are not in Kansas anymore Toto". Same goes for Europe, that $20/month unlimmeted basic 56K dialup access would be great here but the closest we get is either:
1) A 10,000 peseta/month plan with Retevision (www.retevision.es). Read the fine print because they reserve the right to disconnect you after 30 minutes of inactivity, this is the major complaint of users and is very annoying. This plan has no limit on the time of day you can connect at and provides you with a unique dialup number that you can use from anywhere IN SPAIN (like an 800 number in the US).
2) Terra's flat rate for 2,700 pesetas/month (I had this plan before my ADSL, hence the Plaza Mayor webcam used to be on only from 6pm to 8am and all weekend long). This plan works from 6pm to 8am Mon.-Thurs. and then form 6pm on Friday to 8am Monday morning (all weekend). It is rather cheap and I was pleased with the performance when I used it. It also uses a access number that can be dialed from anywhere in Spain. When I had to connect out of the plan hours, I would use a normal per/hour connection to pop online and quickly download my mail.

So, while there is no flat rate UE service that I know of, in Spain you have your choice of a few different plans.
hope I got to all your points...
Saludos,
jer...

Well unfortunaly the Telefonica ADSL service in Seville (Center) is BAD, very BAD. I wait four months to get the service, once the "thecnical people" did the installation never work, and that the best part when you call to their "special ADSL information number" 902108010, you pay for the calls, even if you call just to tell then that you don't have line. Our last phone bill just to call this number was 8700 pesetas. Still my line is no working properly.
Good luck!
In Seville outside the center you can use "Supercable" www.supercable.es, or www.wanadoo.com for ADSL.
The best information about ADSL is in the "Asociacion de Internautas" Web site http://adsl.internautas.org

Jeremy and Pura, I thank you both for such excellent replies. This information is very valuable and I'll review all the web sites mentioned and consider all the issues.

For over two years I've been wanting to move to Spain, but my business requires RELIABLE high speed dedicated Internet Access (DSL) with no download size limitations, etc.

In the past 2 years, it souds as though the high speed situation has gotten much better. I can remember even checking with large office buildings in Barcelona and even the "high-priced" ritzy office buildings didn't have it back then (not even T1 lines).

Things have changed! This is great, but sounds as though there may still be "some issues" and thus waiting for a bit longer, perhaps 6 months to a year before I move there to allow the phone companies to resolve their ADSL problems might be in my best interests.

Hmmmm?