Why I Switched to Vodafone
After my Movistar contract ended, I was intrigued by Vodafone's marketing. They promised 600 Mbps speeds and positioned themselves as the "fastest" option. Coming from Movistar's evening slowdowns, this sounded appealing. I signed up for their 500 Mbps plan in September 2023, moving to a new apartment in Gràcia.
The installation process was smoother than Movistar. No hidden costs, clear communication, and the technician arrived exactly when scheduled. The router they provided (Vodafone Station) was more modern than Movistar's equipment, with better Wi-Fi 6 support.
Speed Performance: The Good and The Frustrating
Vodafone delivered on speed promises—when it worked. During optimal conditions, I consistently saw 500-600 Mbps download speeds. Upload speeds were equally impressive at 450-500 Mbps. For large file transfers and video uploads, this was fantastic.
However, the consistency was the problem. I experienced random drops to 50-100 Mbps that would last 10-30 minutes, then suddenly recover. These weren't tied to peak hours like Movistar's slowdowns. They happened at 2 PM on a Tuesday, 10 AM on a Saturday—completely unpredictable.
I documented these issues with multiple speed tests using Ookla and contacted support. Their response was always the same: "The connection looks fine from our end." After several calls, a technician visited and replaced some equipment, which helped for about two weeks before the issues returned.
Stability Issues
The random speed drops were annoying, but the connection stability was more concerning. I experienced three complete outages during my 12 months, each lasting 4-8 hours. One happened during an important video call, which was particularly frustrating.
More subtly, I noticed brief disconnections—maybe 10-30 seconds—that would interrupt streaming or cause video calls to freeze. These weren't frequent enough to make the service unusable, but they were noticeable and happened roughly once or twice per week.
I'm not a network engineer, but my suspicion is that Vodafone's infrastructure in my area wasn't as mature as Movistar's. They're investing heavily in expansion, but that sometimes means growing pains for existing customers.
Customer Service: Mixed Experience
Vodafone's customer service was more responsive than Movistar's, but less knowledgeable. When I called about the speed drops, the first-level support staff seemed genuinely confused. They'd run remote diagnostics, find nothing wrong, and suggest restarting the router—which I'd already done multiple times.
Escalating to technical support took persistence. Once I reached someone with actual technical knowledge, they were helpful and arranged the equipment replacement. But getting to that point required multiple calls and explaining the same issue repeatedly.
Their online support chat was better than Movistar's, with faster response times. However, the chat agents had the same limitations—they could check basic diagnostics but couldn't solve complex issues.
Pricing and Value
Vodafone's pricing was competitive. I paid 50€/month for the first 12 months, then 60€/month. The contract was 12 months with a 150€ early termination fee—more flexible than Movistar's 18-month commitment.
They included some streaming services and mobile data in the package, which I didn't use much but could be valuable if you're looking for a bundle. The router was included, and they didn't charge installation fees.
However, when I calculated the value based on actual usable speeds (accounting for the drops), the price per reliable megabit wasn't as attractive as it initially seemed.
What I Appreciated
- Excellent peak speeds when working properly
- Modern router with good Wi-Fi coverage
- Faster customer service response times
- More flexible contract terms
- No hidden installation costs
What Disappointed Me
- Unpredictable speed drops
- Connection stability issues
- Brief but frequent disconnections
- Customer service knowledge gaps
- Inconsistent performance despite high peak speeds
Who Should Consider Vodafone
Vodafone makes sense if you need maximum speeds for specific tasks (large uploads, content creation) and can tolerate occasional instability. If you're in an area where their infrastructure is more mature, you might not experience the issues I had.
However, if you need rock-solid reliability for work-from-home situations, video calls, or consistent streaming, the stability issues could be problematic. For those priorities, Orange or even Movistar might be better choices.
Final Thoughts
Vodafone feels like a provider in transition. They're pushing hard on speed and modern technology, which shows in their equipment and peak performance. But the stability issues suggest their network might not be as mature as the marketing suggests.
I switched away not because Vodafone was terrible—the speeds were genuinely impressive when they worked—but because I needed more consistency for my work. If they can solve the stability issues, they'd be a strong contender. For now, they're a high-risk, high-reward option.