Cell Phones

[MedStudent1978]

Could anyone please tell me whether any international cell phone company works on the Island? Cingular, T-Mobile, ...... I want to keep my US phone number!
Thanks

[islandthrift]

In order for your US phone to work in Dominica you need a triband or a quadband phone and you will need to buy a new sim card when you get down here. Just remember, it will be more expensive to use your US cellphone down here because of the roaming charges. I think cingular is a little over $2.00 a minute and verizon is over $5.00 a minute! Your best bet money wise is to buy a new cellphone down here. If oyu realy want to keep your number in the states though, have your old cellphone when calling back home and a new cellphone for local calls.

[sarahtarah]

tons of information when you search.

---sunrocket plug---
the thing you can do, is get sunrocket, which gives you a local number like vonage, and use call forwarding on your Tmobile/Cingular phone, to the number on sunrocket and put in your dominica cell phone number for call fowarding with sunrocket, and with the double call fowarding the people at home will call your old number and get you in dominica with out being charged an arm and leg. and you could bring down the free equipment sunrocket gives you and call home from it.

I love sun rocket, its flat 199$ for 12 months, thats like 17$/mon. Before sunrocket i was spending up to 75$ to call home and people from home were having to buy phone cards, since sunrocket, everyone calls me and if i need to call someone, i call them real quick since the phone charge is per second, use a few cents to tell them to call me back. I put money on my phone only when C&W has their double up offer where whatever you $$ you put on the phone they double it, so i get most for my money.

[liqu0rleadstocha0s]

sarah, when the call gets forwarded from your cell > sunrocket > dominica cell, you just answer it and talk to the person with your dominica cell w/o being charged on it???

[kittyhawk]

Ok, the best way to do this is this:

- Get yourself an "unlocked" GSM TriBand cell phone
- Buy a sim card for where you are at (this are usually prepaid and you can add time to it when you need it)
- when you return to the US, or Canada, or anywhere in the world, just change the SIM card for that country. (eg: if you are going to Chicago for clinicals, contact T-Mobile, sign up for service, get a T-Mobile SIM card, switch with your Dominica one and away you go. It's that easy.
( note, this phone will also allow you to make calls in any country in the world, by doing the same thing as you would with T-Mobile, just switch SIM cards for that country)
*** This only works with your "unlocked" GSM/Triband cell phone!***

NOTE:
I suggest an "unlocked" cell phone because it's just that. The cell phone is not "locked" to any cell/mobile provider. Usually a cell phone you get, regardless if it is a GSM (uses a SIM Card) or a CDMA (no SIM card) cell phone is "locked" so that only that it only will work with that provider (T-Mobile, Vodafone, Fido, etc). An "unlocked" cell phone will allow you to choose any cell service from any provider in the world, just by switching SIM cards. It rocks!

You can always pick up an "unlocked" cell phone on Ebay. Or another alternative is to "unlock" your own GSM/Triband cell phone via online services for a small fee like: GSM Liberty - Cell Phone Unlock Codes : Mobile Phone Unlocking : Cell Phone Unlock (http://www.gsmliberty.net)
If you use these guys, you can still use the same service as you have now with no changes since all the information is stored on your current SIM card. The huge benefit if now, you don't have to buy another GSM phone, but continue using your current cell phone when you go to anywere in the world, switch the SIM card and away you go.

Hope this helps! :D

[sarahtarah]

sarah, when the call gets forwarded from your cell > sunrocket > dominica cell, you just answer it and talk to the person with your dominica cell w/o being charged on it???


should be, currently i have my # in dominica as a call forwarding number with sunrocket. so people call my local sunrocket number and my cell phone here in dominica rings, they get charged as if theyre calling a local number, and i dont get charged at all as all incoming calls to the dominica cell phone are free.

hope it helps, if youre considering sunrocket, let me know and i can be your referrer.

[Shadowstar]

Ok, the best way to do this is this:

- Get yourself an "unlocked" GSM TriBand cell phone
- Buy a sim card for where you are at (this are usually prepaid and you can add time to it when you need it)
- when you return to the US, or Canada, or anywhere in the world, just change the SIM card for that country. (eg: if you are going to Chicago for clinicals, contact T-Mobile, sign up for service, get a T-Mobile SIM card, switch with your Dominica one and away you go. It's that easy.
( note, this phone will also allow you to make calls in any country in the world, by doing the same thing as you would with T-Mobile, just switch SIM cards for that country)
*** This only works with your "unlocked" GSM/Triband cell phone!***

NOTE:
I suggest an "unlocked" cell phone because it's just that. The cell phone is not "locked" to any cell/mobile provider. Usually a cell phone you get, regardless if it is a GSM (uses a SIM Card) or a CDMA (no SIM card) cell phone is "locked" so that only that it only will work with that provider (T-Mobile, Vodafone, Fido, etc). An "unlocked" cell phone will allow you to choose any cell service from any provider in the world, just by switching SIM cards. It rocks!

You can always pick up an "unlocked" cell phone on Ebay. Or another alternative is to "unlock" your own GSM/Triband cell phone via online services for a small fee like: GSM Liberty - Cell Phone Unlock Codes : Mobile Phone Unlocking : Cell Phone Unlock (http://www.gsmliberty.net)
If you use these guys, you can still use the same service as you have now with no changes since all the information is stored on your current SIM card. The huge benefit if now, you don't have to buy another GSM phone, but continue using your current cell phone when you go to anywere in the world, switch the SIM card and away you go.

Hope this helps! :D

One question...won't switching sim cards switch your cell phone number? How do you make it so that even when you switch sim cards, your cell phone number remains the same? Also, if I don't buy a new phone and decide to use that link for my current phone, could I still retain this number while on Dominica? Thanks, this is really useful info btw.

[sarahtarah]

One question...won't switching sim cards switch your cell phone number? How do you make it so that even when you switch sim cards, your cell phone number remains the same? Also, if I don't buy a new phone and decide to use that link for my current phone, could I still retain this number while on Dominica? Thanks, this is really useful info btw.


you cant, if you switch sim cards your number changes.

[kittyhawk]

Shadow,

That's true, the SIM card only holds the info for that one number. Switching SIM cards will mean that you won't have access to your current number.

You can always tell your friends to call you at your Dominca number when you are there and when you come back to the US, switch the SIM card back to your old number. The benefit there is that it sure saves you tons of money on long distance and roaming charges which can add up a lot!!!

I also suggest get a prepaid SIM when out of the US, so you don't get overcharged, and only top it up when you need to.

:)

[Shadowstar]

Ok sounds great. So basically I unlock my phone, then when I arrive at the Caribbean I get a new sim card. I put that new card into my unlocked phone, and I can use it to call US numbers and people in the US can call me at my new number?

[kittyhawk]

Yup Shadow,

You got it! It's really that simple! Try to get a prepaid SIM card so you only use your paid minutes. I'm sure those guys in Dominca can also sell you a plan as well if you want, but it's up to you.

You can also check online for SIM cards for Dominica and how much they cost.

Those guys at GSMLiberty can unlock just about any GSM phone. They are great. You just sent them some numbers of your phone, they identify and email you back instructions and a code you can punch into your phone to unlock it!

Good luck!

[liqu0rleadstocha0s]

should be, currently i have my # in dominica as a call forwarding number with sunrocket. so people call my local sunrocket number and my cell phone here in dominica rings, they get charged as if theyre calling a local number, and i dont get charged at all as all incoming calls to the dominica cell phone are free.

hope it helps, if youre considering sunrocket, let me know and i can be your referrer.

so basically all i would get is sunrocket and a local dominica cell? that sounds good! thanks sarah ill hit u up if i decide on it.

[sarahtarah]

so basically all i would get is sunrocket and a local dominica cell? that sounds good! thanks sarah ill hit u up if i decide on it.

another forum member also got sunrocket, ill ask her to PM you about her experiences.

2 of my friends on the island have it and love it

[Shadowstar]

Ok I just ordered an unlock code for my cingular phone, does anyone know about how many days I will get the code and if it will be through the mail or email? Thanks.

[liqu0rleadstocha0s]

don't they just give you a code if you call them?

[Shadowstar]

I ordered it online...I tried calling but it wouldn't direct me to a sales rep so I got tired of it and just ordered it online thinking they'd give me the code right away but instead they said it might take up to 3 days.

[liqu0rleadstocha0s]

gethuman 500 database (http://gethuman.com/us/)
check out this site. Go to the database and it will give you the way to get to an agent fast!

[monkeydoc]

should be, currently i have my # in dominica as a call forwarding number with sunrocket. so people call my local sunrocket number and my cell phone here in dominica rings, they get charged as if theyre calling a local number, and i dont get charged at all as all incoming calls to the dominica cell phone are free.

hope it helps, if youre considering sunrocket, let me know and i can be your referrer.


Sarah, thanks alot for the info. I 'm planning on signing with sunrocket later this evening. Let me know what I need to do in order to use you as a referrer.

[sarahtarah]

^sent you a pm monkeydoc

[monkeydoc]

^sent you a pm monkeydoc

Got your pm, will sign up later today. I'll let you know if everything went through.

Thanks

[monkeydoc]

Sarah, signed up with sunrocket this morning. You should get your points today.

[sarahtarah]

i got the points pending! thanks

[kittyhawk]

If you guys that ordered your unlock codes from GSMLiberty, don't worry. They do everything via email and you will get your code within 3 days for sure. I've used them twice and they are good on their word on giving you those codes.

If you haven't heard from them after 3 days, email them, and they will usually get back to you the same day or the next with your code. My guess is that they have a high volume of orders and sometimes might not get back to you in time. Just send them an email and they will take care of it. They will email you the code and the link.

*** Also log in to their site with the the same info you registered with. Sometimes your unlock code is already in your account there!

Remember to quote your order number!

Cheers! :)

[tnguy86]

i know there have been a lot said about phone services and such and i know bc i'm searched the topic ad nauseum.

background info: i have a macbook pro with webcam, microphone, and bluetooth.

i would like to have a cell phone with me at all times, and would like to make calls to the states often. i plan on getting a cell over there but i don't know if it would be cheap to call the states as often as i would like. my choices are to get skype or sunrocket.

with skype, i can make cheap calls through my laptop, assuming i'll have a good internet connection. if i do get skype, i'll end up getting a headset as i don't think everyone would like hearing in on my converstions :) . do you guys know whether i can use a bluetooth headset? or would i be limited to being stuck to my laptop by a wire?

with sunrocket, i can have calls forwarded to me to my cell phone but what if the internet goes on in the states???

i'm still unsure what i want to do, so any help would be appreciated...
thanks
tai

[sarahtarah]

what do you mean if the internet goes on in the states?

the few friends that i do have with skype often sat out in the halls to make calls...you can do that. i dont know about the bluetooth.

[travelgirl]

##########

[tnguy86]

will ANY bluetooth headset work? or must i use only skype compatible ones??

[tnguy86]

also, can someone point out the pros and cons of skype vs sunrocket?

[ADE007]

how does vonage work??

[travelgirl]

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[BrotherMan]

if you want to bring a cell phone, bring a quad band cell phone.