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Since Turkey's mobile phone legislation is a pain in the ass, I'm considering renting a 3G/LTE Wifi hotspot on the two stopovers I will have there in February.

Is there a company which could rent me one at Istanbul airport? If not, maybe I can find such a service in the center of the city?

Technically I could just buy a sim-card and discard it later, but my 24-hour stopovers are over 3 weeks apart so it would be impossible for me to get Internet on the way back, since my IMEI would have been blocked by then.

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  • Why not just use WiFi instead?
    – Karlson
    Commented Jan 27, 2014 at 18:08
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    @Karlson Open WiFi is pretty rare in the city. On the other hand it is pretty common for businesses to offer it to customers, one would not have a problem getting on a couple times during the day.
    – Caleb
    Commented Jan 31, 2014 at 18:52
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    @Caleb If the layover is only 24 hours most internet access would probably be necessary only in the airport which has WiFi. My opinion anyway...
    – Karlson
    Commented Jan 31, 2014 at 18:54
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    @Karlson Your opinion shouldn't dictate other people's travel habits. Just because you feel something isn't necessary doesn't mean others wouldn't prefer them. I noted the availability issue so they can make their own decision.
    – Caleb
    Commented Jan 31, 2014 at 18:57
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    @Karlson Also, the WiFi at the Istanbul airport is paid not free, so if they were going to pay anyway why not be mobile if it was an option.
    – Caleb
    Commented Jan 31, 2014 at 18:59

9 Answers 9

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There is a booth at the arrival terminal of Istanbul Atatürk Airport. The company is called IUGO. They are renting WiFi modems, smartphones, tablets and GPS navigators. The service became available in June 2014.

WiFi modems and smartphones cost 6EUR/day to rent. Here's a photo of the location (sourced from IUGO's official Twitter page):

IUGO Istanbul Ataturk

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    Thank you! That's exactly what I was looking for back then :)
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Apr 13, 2015 at 18:59
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+50

Even though I still believe that using WiFi at the airport might be a better solution for your data needs you can a MiFi device from places like: Global WiFi Rental, which is available for pick up and return at the airport. And similar discussion on TripAdvisor.

There is also Cell Hire in UK that also offers the MiFi Rental service.

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  • I wasn't able to locate free WiFi anywhere in the terminal, unfortunately. I will have a look at the rental place next time that I'm there.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Feb 2, 2014 at 9:58
  • @JonathanReez ataturkairport.com/en-EN/airportguide/Pages/InternetWiFi.aspx
    – Karlson
    Commented Feb 2, 2014 at 17:36
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    the free wi-fi required you to receive an SMS code first, which failed to work with my foreign SIM card.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Oct 18, 2014 at 21:25
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You can check all mobile wifi rental companies by yourself and see the list of companies offering the rental service in Turkey.

As your travel plan suggests, buying a SIM card is not the best option to solve the connection problem. According to the new law of duties, cell phones from outside Turkey will be blocked between 7-10 days if they are not registered with a fee of 115 Turkish Liras (approx. 40 Euros).

I think it is not the most efficient way to pay such a tax to the government for just one time use. Also, you will have to sign some papers, change your SIM card, keep it safe etc. And you will not be able to share your connection with your other devices unless your mobile phone can be used as a hotspot.

Basically, there are some companies to rent a pocket wifi in Turkey. However, I think that the local companies offer more fair prices, and a qualified service than the international companies do.

I hope you enjoy your holiday in Turkey.

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The place called IUGO and it was at the Ataturk Airport, Arrival Terminal. We rented a wifi modem and paid tptal of 29 Euro per 5 days.

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My wife and I were in Istanbul last January. At the Istanbul Ataturk Airport there were 3 stores who sells simcard. The prices are almost same 80 Turkish Lira for just simcard. But they are overcrowded. We finally rent a mobile hotspot from "iugo gadgets for rent" at the arrival terminal. We paid total of 40 Euros for 7 days. The mobile hotspot had unlimited data. It was cheap comparing to other simcards.. We dropped the device back to the store before our flight

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  • But how long did the battery go?
    – Ayyash
    Commented May 6, 2018 at 4:39
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There is a local company called Rent 'n Connect but as far i know they have no booth at Ataturk Airport however they provide delivering to your hotel and pick up from there. And also they are working with Sabiha Gokcen Airport (booth).

Hope it helps you and other travellers.

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Depending on the number of days you will want to be connected to the internet and on the data you will need, you have 3 options:

  • buy a sim card from Turkcell, Vodafone, Turk Telekom (find more here). The advantage is that you can find them all around the city and you pay one time, no additional or hidden fees. The not so good part is that they are not as cheep as you would expect (for the data they include) and you can't use them if your phone is blocked by your telecommunication company.

  • rent a portable wifi. If you want to compare offers and prices in Turkey, try a directory with pocket wifi offers. You can compare there prices, minimum of days you will need to rent the device, deposit costs, the daily available data (not all of them have unlimited data), number of devices you can connect to, pick-up and return policy, reviews from clients, technology (3g/ 4g) and more.

  • hunt free wifi hotspots. It's a little problematic because it's not safe, it's slow and sometimes it can disconnect when you need it the most. But it's FREE so... :)

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I used IUGO during my first trip in Turkey but this year, I learned that it is closed. I found another company that rents mobile wifi device named Alldaywifi. I am pleased with airport delivery, unlimited data and the ease of connection. If anyone needs you can check their website https://alldaywifi.com

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u can check the company called RENTNCONNECT. they have the option that online booked. u can book your pocket wifi before u arrive turkey. airport, hotel or airbnb options are avilable for delivery. the size of the device is great. easy to carry it, and u can connect up to 10 devices. The fair usage limits are set by the operators. If you exceed the fair usage limit, no extras will be charged and the connection will remain as 4.5G speed. returning the device is also simple. u can return the device at airport or your hotel.

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