Using Cell Phone in Bahamas

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soccerdad12
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Using Cell Phone in Bahamas

Post by soccerdad12 »

I traveling to the Bahamas very soon. I have AT&T service. I have read that using the AT&T plan there and texting/calling is very expensive. The resort will have wifi (not cheap at $20/day). I have kids at home that we want to be able to stay in touch with via text (will call on voip at night) and also want to stay in touch with other couples we are going with at the resort via text.

Anyone have any practical experience in Bahamas (or elsewhere) of way to communicate in these really high priced countries outside of the US plan that I have?

Thanks!
ieee488
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Re: Using Cell Phone in Bahamas

Post by ieee488 »

To be able to use another cell carrier in the Bahamas and if you want to use your current phone, then you need to call up AT&T and ask them to unlock your phone.
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StoneReader
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Re: Using Cell Phone in Bahamas

Post by StoneReader »

See Tobias's column today about AT&T charges on a 4-day trip to Barcelona

http://andrewtobias.com/column/solar-power/
Yet I feel sure AT&T is working to find a way to charge us for it anyway. (Don’t get me started.) (Okay, okay, they wanted $494 for four days during which I made no calls and almost always had the phone either in “airplane mode” or with data roaming OFF but, mainly, and most of the time, entirely OFF. AT&T explained that my phone had nonetheless downloaded 24 megabytes of data for which they were charging $494. This, they noted when I called, was even more than the $30 they would have charged had I signed up for their 120-megabyte data package. Which — as I imagine this nice service rep is employed to do all day long — she cheerfully offered to grant me retroactively. So instead of $494, it was discounted to $30. But would not have been if I had not disputed the charge. A strange way to run a railroad.)
mptfan
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Re: Using Cell Phone in Bahamas

Post by mptfan »

ieee488 wrote:To be able to use another cell carrier in the Bahamas and if you want to use your current phone, then you need to call up AT&T and ask them to unlock your phone.
This is simply not true. I have AT&T, and I've been to the Bahamas, and my phone works there, and I never called AT&T to unlock anything.

Be warned...it is expensive to use your phone there. And if you have a smartphone, you will be charged high fees to access data, so if you don't want to pay high fees, turn your phone off and keep it off, otherwise, your phone might try to access the network to do things like check email (depending on your settings). Your other option is to turn off your phone's ability to access the cell network, and only use it for wifi.
ieee488
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Re: Using Cell Phone in Bahamas

Post by ieee488 »

Are you saying that you were able to insert another carrier's SIM in your phone and have it work in the Bahamas?
That is the whole point of unlocking.
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mptfan
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Re: Using Cell Phone in Bahamas

Post by mptfan »

ieee488 wrote:Are you saying that you were able to insert another carrier's SIM in your phone and have it work in the Bahamas?
That is the whole point of unlocking.
No, I am not saying that. I am saying that my phone works on the local network (btc, formerly known as batelco) without any modifications at all, as soon as the plane lands. I don't insert anything into the phone, I don't make any changes, and I don't call AT&T, it just works.

I don't know where you got the idea that you have to "unlock" your AT&T phone to use it in the Bahamas, but it is simply not true.
Spirit Rider
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Re: Using Cell Phone in Bahamas

Post by Spirit Rider »

mptfan wrote:
ieee488 wrote:Are you saying that you were able to insert another carrier's SIM in your phone and have it work in the Bahamas?
That is the whole point of unlocking.
No, I am not saying that. I am saying that my phone works on the local network (btc, formerly known as batelco) without any modifications at all, as soon as the plane lands. I don't insert anything into the phone, I don't make any changes, and I don't call AT&T, it just works.

I don't know where you got the idea that you have to "unlock" your AT&T phone to use it in the Bahamas, but it is simply not true.
What ieee488 what referring to in this post:

"To be able to use another cell carrier in the Bahamas and if you want to use your current phone, then you need to call up AT&T and ask them to unlock your phone."

The least expensive way to use your phone internationally is to buy a SIM on a local carrier. This will be far cheaper than roaming on AT&T. However, this requires an unlocked phone to be able to swap SIMs.
ieee488
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Re: Using Cell Phone in Bahamas

Post by ieee488 »

Spirit Rider wrote:
mptfan wrote:
ieee488 wrote:Are you saying that you were able to insert another carrier's SIM in your phone and have it work in the Bahamas?
That is the whole point of unlocking.
No, I am not saying that. I am saying that my phone works on the local network (btc, formerly known as batelco) without any modifications at all, as soon as the plane lands. I don't insert anything into the phone, I don't make any changes, and I don't call AT&T, it just works.

I don't know where you got the idea that you have to "unlock" your AT&T phone to use it in the Bahamas, but it is simply not true.
What ieee488 what referring to in this post:

"To be able to use another cell carrier in the Bahamas and if you want to use your current phone, then you need to call up AT&T and ask them to unlock your phone."

The least expensive way to use your phone internationally is to buy a SIM on a local carrier. This will be far cheaper than roaming on AT&T. However, this requires an unlocked phone to be able to swap SIMs.
Yes, that is exactly what I meant by my original post. Using the local carrier's SIM card to get cheaper rates than paying roaming rates to AT&T.
For BTC customers to roam in the USA, the cost on the AT&T network is 99¢/minute. I would imagine the reverse is similar.
Whereas if you get their SIM card, the cost is 33¢/minute
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