Cell phone usage on st maarten

[Doc321]

can anyone tell me the best policy for cellular usage.
types of phones: gsm?
better off to purchace one dwn there? and what type of calling plans and costs are offered.

[PaulN]

While the subject is covered in past posts here is the scoop
Get a TDMA phone before going to the island
You will pay $20/month for a phone card which you are required to purchase at least one per month. Outgoing calls are about 56cents/min but incoming calls are not charged.
I picked up some used phones on Ebay for 20-30 dollars

****

[thethom]

What the heck is TDMA, GSM, etc...? I have a Verizon V60. Will that work? Explain the phone types, etc...

BTW thanks a lot for your answers :D

-Thomas

[kennethhur]

kind of offensive way of asking for help in forum..respect for another is graceful self respect as well

[thethom]

I was just joking, but I guess it seemed like I was being rude...sorry. I thought the "thanks for the info" part with the smiley would have made it more hospitable...

Now that you all understand me....SOMEONE ANSWER MY QUESTION :D

[tRmedic21]

We've covered this topic several times, some of them recently. Just so you know. Man, someday I'm really gonna get out that FAQ....not like anyone would read it, anyways... it much easier to ask than to read.

CDMA, TDMA, and GSM are the main technology types used in cellular phones in the US today. CDMA is much bigger than TDMA, and GSM is taking over all, I think. GSM will NOT work in Sint Maarten. CDMA might work, but probably only in analog mode, meaning drastically reduced signal strength and battery life, I think.

TDMA is what you want. If you do a search on the internet you can find tons of information on these topics, which is how I learned about them.

The Motorola V60 phone was made in all three formats, CDMA, TDMA, and GSM. You'll need to inquire with your service provider which type you have. If I wasn't sick and unmotivated, I could probably tell you which Verizon uses, but my brain is muddled right now, sorry. It's a simple question, call your provider and ask if your V60 is TDMA, CDMA, or GSM. If it's anything other than TDMA, buy a new phone, that's my advice. You can take your chances and see if it will work down here, but if it doesn't, don't complain about it.

Time for bed, my head hurts again....someone hid my drugs, I think. :(

[thethom]

Medic, thanks for the info, I'll search back through posts from now on, cuz you've helped me quite a bit and I must repay....

Get better man!

-Thomas