As I think it over, perhaps the 4-year contract was assuming the installation of a landline. If I buy something like this modem from TIM, maybe I could get a data plan with it that doesn't have such a commitment. Anyway, it's late on this trip for me to look into it; I was thinking about what to advise in case we let friends stay in the house. For the next trip, I might order HipPocketWifi for a week, which could be extended if another plan doesn't work out.