Mobile Phones & Tobago

Jolene A · Post by **Jolene A** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:39 pm

Hey all, have a quick question regarding mobile phones in Tobago. I was contemplating taking mine out with me in June just to keep in contact with family, and was basically wondering will it work in Tobago providing i have a tri band phone? If this cannot be done, can calls to the UK be made easily in hotels and such, or do you have to buy a phone card similar to those on sale in the states?

Many thanks

Jo

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:33 pm

Hi Jolene

Yes, your triband should work over there. However, make sure that your UK provider has cleared you for international roaming.

You can direct-dial the UK from most hotels, but beware of the charges - all hotels tend to rip punters off on telephone calls (like mini-bar charges).

Jolene A · Post by **Jolene A** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:04 pm

Many thanks Steve, i thought that might be the case with the hotels. Will have to ring up the mobile company and double check about the roaming. So many things to sort out! Never mind, Tobago in a few months!!

Thanks again,

Jo

David Watkins · Post by **David Watkins** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:32 am

Jolene,some car hire firms include a cellphone for hire periods of 7 days or more and there are places where you can rent a phone.
David

Josephine · Post by **Josephine** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:47 am

Jolene

I was in Trinidad via Tobago earlier this year and had a huge shock when I then saw my mobile phone bill which I used mainly just to check my voicemail (!) and to call my family in Trinidad to say that I had made the connecting flight from Tobago to Trinidad. I was there for a week. I don't have my mobile bill to hand but it was a lot - 'daylight robbery with no anesthetic' administered!! I am with Vodafone, your roaming charges may be different with another service provider? For the most part, I borrowed a relative's Pay As You Go for calling locally which was very inexpensive yet my Vodafone bill... probably could have paid for an hour of a return flight!

Don't know how long you will be in Tobago for, but maybe a Pay As You Go sim card may be a good option or hiring a phone for the week as suggested? A couple of friends were in Trinidad for Carnival and from recollection, they were able to do this fairly easily (had to provide their passport info I believe though). Don't know for Tobago.

Perhaps someone can advise on Pay As You Go sim cards?

Paul Makin · Post by **Paul Makin** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 4:14 pm

id also support the local sim card route but be aware that although you'll be fine making/receiving calls and sending texts that you may experience difficulties getting text or voice mail responses from overseas. something to do with overseas partners and cross network forwarding down here (although ive had no problems recently to be honest).

theres a cheap and mostly reliable IDD service from selected public phones in addition to a local PAYG sim. buy the cards from all kinds of different places - companion calling card i think its (still) called. make sure you ask for the overseas version though.

paul

Josephine · Post by **Josephine** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 4:51 pm

Paul Makin wrote:getting text or voice mail responses from overseas. something to do with overseas partners and cross network forwarding down here (although ive had no problems recently to be honest).

From my own experience, I have texted about three Trinidad mobiles/cellphones and some receive them, some do not. I do not know what local networks they were on so can't say if that makes a difference.

Something I have just thought of! If you have access to the internet, Skype is pretty good. You can also text directly from Skype, if you have Skype Out and the cost is next to nothing, compared to what you might pay using your UK based mobile phone. You may have to hope to receive the texts on the local number or take a chance with your UK number.

I do not remember if it was when I was in Trinidad (I was also overseas for Christmas) but for one of the locations - don't want to say it was Trinidad also, in case my memory is incorrect - I also had to pay for the texts I received telling me a) I had voicemail and b) the "Welcome to x city. Please select z network"! (the cheek!!!)

Josephine · Post by **Josephine** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 4:58 pm

Steve Wooler wrote:Yes, your triband should work over there. However, make sure that your UK provider has cleared you for international roaming.

Just remembered one more thing! If you are thinking of going the local sim card route, check that your triband isn't locked to the UK network/service provider you are on. I know that Vodafone does this, with the excuse that customers get the phones when they renew their contracts and then use the phones on another network. Doesn't make sense to me - more than likely, people are selling the phones on...

I discovered the above when I renewed my contract just before going out to Trinidad and had to insist on getting the phone unlocked. One cheeky customer service person suggested I travelled with two mobiles.

I called back, got someone else, explained that when I travel, I prefer to buy local sim cards for obvious cost reasons. That combined with pleading, I managed to get the code to unlock the phone.

Jolene A · Post by **Jolene A** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:08 pm

Hey all, thanks for all your advice on this. We're only going to be in Tobago for 2 weeks, but i need to be able to check in with family when we get there, so only really need the phone for that. Im quite interested in getting a local sim card when out there, or using the IDD service from public phones as Paul suggested. Could you tell me more about these options and/or where to get them? Is the IDD service where you buy an international calling card from say a shop, and type in the number on the card into the payphone and it gives you so many minutes of talk time?

I did visit my local orange shop today and ask about this, and they confirmed i couldnt use my pay as you go sim card out there, and that the only way would be to go on a contract, but thats not something i want to get into really. They did say the coverage is good though which i was quite surprised at. As the guy determined the pay as you go sim wouldnt work, the roaming capabilites kinda got forgotton about, so im still not sure about that one, but what i do know is that my phones unlocked if that helps.

Many thanks

Jo

Josephine · Post by **Josephine** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:34 pm

Jolene A wrote:Hey all, thanks for all your advice on this. We're only going to be in Tobago for 2 weeks, but i need to be able to check in with family when we get there, so only really need the phone for that. Im quite interested in getting a local sim card when out there, or using the IDD service from public phones as Paul suggested.

Perfectly understandably being able to check in with the family whilst away. As David suggested, consider the option of hiring a phone for the two weeks?

Do you know if you will have access to the internet? Skype may also be a pretty inexpensive option - I did this last year. Went to North Africa and was texting family as well as calling my parents in Trinidad practically every day just to say that I was back where I was staying and all was well. Fortunately, I had internet access where I was and it cost me next to nothing on Skype. Sound quality on calls varied, but at least, when the calls went on for longer than the sand in the egg timer (!) I knew that I was not coming back to London to a monsterous phone bill.

Jolene A · Post by **Jolene A** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:05 pm

Hi Josephine, im not sure about Skype. I know the Coco Reef where we're staying has internet access, but im not sure whether it has a communal Pc to check emails etc, or whether you can only use the net if your bringing your own laptop. If they did have a communal Pc, i wonder whether they would have a headset or phone for using Skype? The phone hiring does sound another good option. Where abouts would i be able to hire one from, and whats involved?

Many thanks

Jo

Ronald · Post by **Ronald** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:10 am

I know Skype is aviable at some Internet Cafés, I know one such a place in Crown Point.

To the left of Royal Bank in Crown Point you find a laundry shop, they have Internet acess with four computers, and I believe two of them have Skype installed.

Jolene A · Post by **Jolene A** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:56 am

Oh thats good then, i didnt think there would be anything like that around, but at least i have a few options now. Thanks Ronald

Clyde Alleyne · Post by **Clyde Alleyne** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:20 am

Jolene, what's even better is that the internet cafe is literally a couple of minutes walk - just a few steps away from the entrance to the Coco Reef.
Clyde

Jolene A · Post by **Jolene A** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:00 am

what's even better is that the internet cafe is literally a couple of minutes walk - just a few steps away from the entrance to the Coco Reef.

great!

Paul Makin · Post by **Paul Makin** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:52 pm

sorry, just seen this again

yep, the companion calling cards are the "enter the card number, enter the phone number" type. very reliable, from memory. buy these just about most places - mini-marts, bars, TSTT outlets etc. you will need to find a card phone box to use it but theyre pretty common in the more populus areas. closest to coco reef is outside jimmys resort i think, about 50 yards.

SIMs get a little thin on the ground sometimes and you need to visit a b-mobile outlet to buy one - eg, the mall, near church's chicken at crown point etc. can be very cheap at times but remember to unlock your uk handset before trying this option.

paul

Paul Makin · Post by **Paul Makin** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:55 pm

oh, just thought.

a further option, seemingly extravagant but very workable, is to simply buy a local phone when you arrive. basic text/calling handsets from about 9 sterling !!! no contract required but you'll need ID as you purchase. comes with the SIM and chargers etc.

paul

Jolene A · Post by **Jolene A** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:34 pm

Hey Paul, no worries, ive only just seen i have replies!

Many thanks for the info, seems like ive got alot of options now, so hopfully one thing or another will work! The calling cards sound especially good, but i shall see how things go when we're out there.

Thanks again

Jo

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 6:32 am

Hi Jo
We use the international phone cards while we are in Tobago and have never had any problem with them, can't remember how much, but know I was surprised the first time at how little it cost to call the UK. Also my mobile is on T-mobile, I get a message when I switch it on on landing saying welcome to T&T and select nework, I find that I can receive texts but not send or call on my pay as you go tarrif, this means that friends and family can text if they need me to contact them.

Linda
4 weeks 3 days to go

Paul Makin · Post by **Paul Makin** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 1:46 pm

take note however that if you stick with your uk provider, receiving calls/texts from the UK will almost certainly cost you money as almost all uk networks (still) charge the overseas recepient of the communication (read that as "us") for the international leg of the call. so top your credit right up just in case!!

just seen a digicell ad btw - they have basic handsets on offer at 20.00TT

paul