Which better for internet service in japan

Hello guys,

im indonesian that will soon live in japan for the 4th year.
I would like to live in a dormitory only for 1 year
and want to make my room in dormitory there is internet facilities also has mobile telephone
So i had some option to make it real, but i still confused
which one is the best form saving money from this option.

1. I buy cheap mobile telephone ( softbank ) and then buy internet modem ( This Option absolutely expensive i think )

2. I Buy only one iPhone 5, with full package ( around 6850 yen/month ) , then i thertering my i phone to my laptop to access internet ( but theretering just permit up to 7 gb , very poor )

3. I buy i phone here in indonesia, then buy some cheap mobile telephone plus unlimeted internet ( maybe 4000 yen/month ), change the simcard into my i phone, then make theretering internet.


4. buy cable internet ( may be this impossible coz of only 1 year i live )


so from this option which one is the best for saving money yah?

thank you for your support

Ok, if I understand correctly you will be living in a dorm that doesn't offer internet service. Let me know if that is correct.

Based on that, option 1 with a softbank prepaid and a b-mobile personal wifi device will probably be cheapest. Depending on your usage the total would be around 5000 yen per month.

http://mb.softbank.jp/en/prepaid_service/
http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/lineup.html

Or consider one of the special bmobile phone packages such as this one available on amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E9%80%9A%E4%BF%A1-IDEOS-200...

Also look into emobile which offers a smartphone with internet tethering for about 4000 yen/month. They may not sell to you though if you only have a 1 year visa, and check into the cancellation fees which could also make it too expensive to consider.

http://emobile.jp/

thank you for your reply,

yes there is no internet offering in my dormitory
and i will leave at several years in japan, but
for the first year i will live in dormitory after that find others such as apato.

regarding with your idea,
i have an idea like this,
i had not used modem wifi , and is it will be able to buy only
data sim card to access internet, in japan?
or may be with buy some cheap phone but choose for unlimited data package, and then use it to be sim card for my modem wifi?

is it possible in japan?

You can buy data only sim cards in Japan, but if you need both internet and cellphone service it may be cheaper to buy them together (in other words, get a smartphone that can do internet tethering). In your situation (multi year student visa?), the cheapest will probably be to get an emobile smartphone.

Also, look into au if you have a student visa as they offer some good student discounts that you might qualify for.

here's the link:

http://www.au.kddi.com/

thank you for your reply,


first, i would like to say in japan , i will be as engineer staff thats mean not as student, so if i purchased new carrier phone just get new carrier campaign,

so from this option maybe there will be 2 option.

1. a. buy cheap phones + wifi modem router
cheap phones : soft bank : white plan =980
( btw is it avavable from the first contract only use white plan?

b. buy emobile ( which arround 5000 yen per month )
so total arround = 5980 yen/ month with only old type handphone

2. Buy the new i phone ( or smart phones )
its able to theretering internet so doest need wifi modem again,
( cost = 6980 yen/ month ) but thertering have limit bandwith only up to 7 gb / month,

so i still confused about this option.

Well I think it depends on what is most important to you. Cost, convenience, or iphone?

If cost is most important than a prepaid phone or a cheap phone on a basic phone plan will cover your voice and texting needs for about 1500 yen per month (cheapest prepaid is 3000 yen/60 days; white plan is 980+380 for unlimited mail), and then if possible get internet via paid public wifi (about 500 yen/month).

If cost and convenience are equally important than an emobile smartphone seems to be a good deal. Those currently start at 4000 yen/month with new huawei smartphone models. A bmobile smartphone package could be even cheaper but might be more effort to make cost effective.

If you want the iphone then get the iphone from softbank or au and just pay the extra. Note that they both have a 7gb per month data cap after which they slow down your service to something like 100kbps for the rest of your billing month.

I may have been lucky to get a deal but I got a HTC 3D smart phone for free with unlimited internet access and tethering for just 6000yen per month. I can also make 25 mins of calling and text via email as much as I like. the cancellation fee is 10,000 yen but I don't mind too much cause the phone was free.

I went with AU.