Questions about phone service

[Sand gravity]

I usually use my IPhone when I go to Jamaica and upgrade my service to include international calls to and from. This is a little pricey and I was wondering if there was a better way. I have an old ATT samsung flip phone - so can I get a sim card in Jamaica that will work on the phone. How much do they cost? If I use it once or twice a year to book stays /transportation does it make sense to keep time on it.

I know that this has been discussed here but I am quite slow on the uptake when it comes to tech stuff- thanks for your help

[Boogzy]

as far as I know if your phone is unlocked than all you have to do is insert jam. sim card at a cost of about $5 US

[Yesihunt2]

I don't know how many text you make or call you make but I just used my verizon droid when I was down there...used it mostly for internet with hotel wifi and using facebook messaging to take with my friends. I did have to make a couple of local and calls back home and a few texts to my daughter but my bill after vacation was only $2 more than it usually is. Like I said though I used mostly wifi.

[Jame]

In January we bought a Digicel sim card for $5. Loaded it with $15 worth of credits and still had about $2.50 worth of credits after our 8 day vacation. Hope this helps. Make sure the phone is unlocked. If the phone is older then call your provider and they will send you an unlock code. It takes 24-48 hours with AT&T ao make sure to do it in advance. Respect!

[Mike_D]

I have an old ATT samsung flip phone - so can I get a sim card in Jamaica that will work on the phone.

Yup. I did this several years ago with an old ATT Blackberry. Call ATT tech support (or use their online chat) and they will walk you through the process to get it unlocked. Then, when you get to Jamaica stop by a Digicel store (we used the one in the Burger King Plaza, by the roundabout) and tell them you want to put a sim card in your unlocked phone. I think I paid about $20 US for the sim and more credit than I could use in one trip. The nice lady at the Digicel store installed the SIM card and made sure everything was working before I left the store. I did have to show my drivers license to get the card.

4 years later, my SIM card still works but the old blackberry is on the fritz. I just bought a refurbished iPhone from ebay and plopped the sim in the new phone (after trimming it with a sim cutter) and I'm back in business. I usually just top up the online with $5 US before each trip and that is usually enough. However, now that I have an iPhone, I will probably turn on the data plan and use more credit.

[roz]

I use WiFi to make calls through Whatsapp or Facebook or Skype, all for free. However, this requires you to be near WiFi to use your phone or iPad/tablet for calling or texting which might not be convenient and the person who receives the call/text needs to have the app installed on their device, so for some that might not be a suitable solution. But its FREE!!

[fargoman]

If you have Sprint..the international basic plan is free to put on phone your phone..and unlimited texts and data..albeit 2 g speed ..calling is 20 cents a minute in and out so for me not worth bringing my Digicel phone anymore and loading it up..

[EdmontonGuy]

Unless you top up Digicel they cancel the sim. I just buy a sim every Trip and get 3GB data. Usually here for a month so like lots of data on my iPhone. I have apps that connect me by voice to the rest of the planet. I make a hotspot for my friends when out and about. 3000J.

[Marko]

yeah use your own unlocked GSM phone.....to see if it is unlocked.....
put in an alien sim(one that the phone isn't for) and if it ask for a code......the phone is locked....no code request and phone is unlocked
if it AT&T you can get the unlock code for free online in about 2-4 days......google it
if you need an unlock code for Tmobile, Cricket or Metro PCS.....you can get dem on Ebay for cheap money($1 -$5) unless it's Samsung or Nokia..
Flow has sims for $300J's and Digicel is $588J's......Flow has cheaper rates but Digicel user will hate you as it eats up all der credits.....
you can buy phones too in Negril......plenty of places has dem for sale....Flow runs specials sometimes on dem keypad phones for cheap money....

Cool Runnings, Marko

[captaind]

My last use was for 17 days last month.

1. I had full time 3G Internet,

2. All the calls I made and received both local and International (forwarded from the US).

3. I gave 1,000 Ja to Linston using *128#.

That was by using the bonus credit I get from topping my phone up on line at Digicel

I left the Island with 600 JA credit which will expire in December. Plus 400 Mbs of data which expired the day after I left.

If I don't use it the SIM will die mid 2018. (No chance of that). Credit dies in Dec 2017. (No chance of that either)

Total cost was 50 US. Very reasonable.


For a short time visitor just borrow a phone from your driver and buy credit.

Cap