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Posted By: LUV2vacation Techie question - 11/14/06 09:23 PM
Does anyone know if an unlocked GSM phone will work in Belize?

Thanks,

-T
Posted By: JZB Re: Techie question - 11/14/06 09:25 PM
Yes they will. The SIMs are fairly inexpensive also.
Posted By: LUV2vacation Re: Techie question - 11/14/06 09:26 PM
great, thanks!
Tami
Posted By: Sir Isaac Newton Re: Techie question - 11/14/06 09:29 PM
1900 band phones only. A tri or quad band GSM phone will work here. $25US for a BTL sim. Phone cards make great little souveniers.

SIN
Posted By: DitchDocDiver Re: Techie question - 11/15/06 04:23 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Sir Isaac Newton:
1900 band phones only. A tri or quad band GSM phone will work here. $25US for a BTL sim. Phone cards make great little souveniers.

SIN
what are the charges after you purchase a BZE sim card?
Posted By: DB Re: Techie question - 11/15/06 04:35 AM
What about locked GSM's (1900/multiband) Cingular phones?
Posted By: weile Re: Techie question - 11/15/06 06:22 AM
DB,
Check with your service provider and see if they have a roaming agreement with Belize (BTbloodyL).
US T-Mobile and a few others work fine here. Be aware of the costs though.
...or go to a cell phone store anywhere is the States (or do it yourself on the internet) and have your phone unlocked. This will not affect your existing service. They only lock it (sucks) because of agreements re. marketing support between the providers and the phone manufacturers.
Posted By: DB Re: Techie question - 11/15/06 07:03 AM
weile,
Thanks.

DB
Posted By: JZB Re: Techie question - 11/15/06 01:56 PM
Digicell prepaid rates are $.85/min 6am - 8pm and $.60/min 8pm to 6 am.
Posted By: JZB Re: Techie question - 11/15/06 01:57 PM
Thats BZ$.
Posted By: scubawalk Re: Techie question - 11/15/06 02:52 PM
We recently returned to the US with a phone we purchased from BTL. In the past, we have gotten a Cingular sim card for pay as you go and successfully used the phone in the US. This time, the phone would not work. The Cingular representative said that they had re-worked their towers and a lot of people had problems using phones they had purchased from providers other than Cingular. I would suggest being careful when unlocking a Cingular phone to use down here. It may no longer work for you when you return to the US.
Posted By: Sun&sand Re: Techie question - 11/15/06 03:34 PM
I have an old cingular phone, so could I have it unlocked and put in a sim card, and just leave it in Belize? I would only update the card for use while I'm there. Would be cool if this works. Although I have a BZE phone there, having a second would be nice, too.
Posted By: GBZ39 Re: Techie question - 11/15/06 04:38 PM
I've used my US T-Mobile in Belize with a local prepaid Sim Card. No problems....
Posted By: Sir Isaac Newton Re: Techie question - 11/15/06 05:40 PM
If your locked GSM phone works in the US, once unlocked it will work there also (and any other country that offers coverage (dual to quadband). $25 to $50US to unlock a GSM phone in Belize.

If you are using the phone a lot, unlocking and getting a local SIM makes a bit of sense.
Posted By: tropical smitty Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 04:18 AM
how much for a local simm card?
Posted By: sweetjane Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 12:34 PM
i have cingular too, and for a small fee we got a one month international calling plan. it is still close to $2/minute to call home, but will work in bz. texts are incoming .10, outgoing .50.

but...SIN would prob know, and is prob right about the sim card. might wanna listen to what he says.
Posted By: Sir Isaac Newton Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 03:16 PM
Of course I'm right! smile

Digicell sim = $25BZ

Incoming calls are free (to the receiver) and outgoing calls vary, less than $2US a minute.

SIN
Posted By: apache1048 Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 04:39 PM
Where do you buy the SIM cards - do the Internet cafes stock them or the supermnarkets?
Posted By: travelqueen Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 04:46 PM
C's Phones on Middle St.
Posted By: dabunk Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 06:37 PM
Only thing to consider if leaving th phone behind, is that if unused for 90 days BTL cancels the account and you will have to buy a new sim when you return.
Posted By: Sun&sand Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 06:50 PM
dabunk, I have left my other one at our condo, and it still has minutes left on it after five months. I think once you buy add'l minutes, you have the same number for ever. If you don't buy minutes, they will take back your number after 3 months. Not sure, but I think this is how it works.
Posted By: travelqueen Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 07:12 PM
sun&sand... i just think you got lucky!! smile
Posted By: Sun&sand Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 07:47 PM
Perhaps, but our cousin also had the same thing happen. Someone at the Island supermarket told us that once we buy more minutes, we would be able to keep the number. So far, so good.
We will see when we get there in Feb. if the phone still works. Even if it doesn't, it isn't that much to get a card activated.
Posted By: dabunk Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 10:38 PM
Correct, but it is frustrating if you expect it to be ready and you have dead air. With digicell if you dial 135 it lets you know when it expires we have since found out. And yes as you add minutes depending on how much you add it extends the time.
Posted By: knowell Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 11:03 PM
Adding minutes extends the time but once it expires you have to get a new sim with a new number. If all your numbers were stored on the old SIM keep it until you write them all down or transfer them to the phone (yes, I learned the hard way). I have used 2 different Cingular phones down there with no problems. The key is as listed above make sure it supports GSM 1900 and is unlocked. Some Cingular are only 850 and 1800. Tmobile is 1900. I only use it for calling around down there and it a lot cheaper than using Cingular's international plan. If you want to call back to the states an internet cafe is the cheapest way.
Posted By: 2MILESNORTHOFCUT Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 11:37 PM
The problem with "loosing" the phone # (after the 90 Days) is: If you give out the # to people at home to call you if needed. I had a friend use my sim card while i was in the states for a few months and he lost the card frown ,I had to get another one with a different #. I was told that after 60 days of non-use they shut you off, I would buy minutes to leave in the phone if I knew they would still be there and the phone would still be turned on after I came back.
Posted By: Sun&sand Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 11:51 PM
Hmmm...it will be six months of non-use when I get back to AC this time. It will be interesting to see if it still works. No problem if it doesn't. I'll just email the new # to everyone who needs it. Not going to sweat the small stuff.
Posted By: 2MILESNORTHOFCUT Re: Techie question - 11/16/06 11:58 PM
There you go sun&sand, No Sweat / No Problem wink
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