Hi everyone!

I had a question regarding cell phones. I know I've heard a lot about buying pre-paid SIM cards or buying a local cell phone, which sounds great and all, but I was wondering if anyone had luck with a "world-phone." I have Verizon, and I was told that I can get a world phone that will work in Dominica, and I can keep my same phone number. The only problem is that text messaging may be expensive. Has anyone used a world phone while on the island? Verizon doesn't use SIM cards so I would have to switch servers if I wanted to use pre-paid SIM cards, which I would rather not do (I've been with Verizon forever and have a great plan that I don't want to give up). Any advice?

On a random note, my advisor told me that finals for the sept '09 term are December 15th, and that I can leave the island on the 16th. But the Ross website says the semester ends on the 18th. Which should I believe? Can I leave on the 16th or not?

First one, no idea.

Second one, you can leave whenever you final is finished. End of semester is the 18th because certain semester has exam at different dates.

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dont bring a worldphone thats pretty sillly....cell phones and international minutes are dirt cheap on prepaid and thats wat everyone gets

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Semesters 1-4 Basic Sciences- Dominica campus [X]
Semester 5 AICM Miami [x] Step 1 prep []
Diagnostic Medicine bound

You can freeze your verizon account for about 3 months at a tiem whiel in Dominica. Just call them up every 3 months to refreeze it. This way you get to keep your same number but you do not have to pay the bill while out of the country

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AUA & Ross Forum Moderator

I have Verizon and I got my number frozen, BUT I also know a LOT of people who could not get their numbers shut off that long. They were told they needed to pay, because you are really only allowed to freeze your phone two times a year, up to 6 months in total. So I wouldn't completely rely on being able to keep your phone number and not paying anything for it. . .

You will NOT be able to use your Verizon World phone in Dominica. This is because Verizon (and Sprint) phones utilizes CDMA technology. As far as I know, there are no cellphone companies in Dominica that support CDMA technology.

Only unlocked phones that utilizes GSM technology (T-Mobile and AT&T) can be used in Dominica. If you plan on using "Cable and Wireless/LIME", you will want to bring a phone that can support specifically 850-band. C&W/LIME is the cellular company with an office on campus. All other GSM-band phones are pretty much support by DigiCell, which is the other cell phone company on Dominica.

Generally, it is cheaper to call home (US/Canada) with the student-pay-as-you-go plan from C&W/LIME than DigiCell. However, local calling from DigiCell to DigiCell customers is a lot cheaper than C&W's local calling plan.

If you plan on bringing down your AT&T/T-Mobile phone, you will need to get it unlocked. To do this, simply call your service provider, explain to them that you're going to medical school in the Caribbean and that you need to unlock your cellphone so you can use it there. The customer service rep should be able to walk you through the steps to get your phone unlocked. When you get to the island, just buy the SIM-card from C&W/LIME on campus and pop the SIM-card into your phone.

For those of you who are recommending that the students just buy the cheap Nokia phone from C&W and avoid all this extra trouble, please note that C&W doesn't stock the trusty Nokia phones anymore. They have been replaced with a very very crappy phone from an unknown chinese brand and it makes the user sound like they're underwater.

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since when was LG a crappy chinese brand? for $50EC they give an LG phone and $20EC of credit with a new account/phone number.

Not talking about LG (which is a Korean company). The ones I'm talking about are those crappy "Huang" phones. You really do sound like you're underwater when you talk out of those things.

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...burn...

hmm, haven't seen those