Cell Phone Use in SA

[pablo]

[This message has been edited by pablo]

I brought my Verizon cell phone with me to Colombia even though after checking with them they told me it would not be working in Colombia.  They told me that it was a blocked country for Verizon.  After turning my cell phone on though once I arrived I discovered it was working but only in the roam mode.  

Last week my new friend John, who owns and operates a taxi here in Medellin, asked me if I wanted to get a cell phone while in Colombia.  I told him of course, and with his help I inquired at a Bell South office about getting my cell phone reprogramed for use in Colombia.  Two days later I had my phone returned.  They had reprogrammed it for 60.000 pesos and for an additional 60.000 pesos I received 270 minutes ($US.08/minute).  After my initial minutes are used up I can purchase cards to renew my cell phone.  It's a little different way of billing here in Colombia as compared to the States...the incoming minutes are free here.

Another curious requirement in having a cell phone in Colombia is that you need an identification card provided by your carrier.  I have to get a photo taken and apply it.  Seems a little silly to me but if you don't provide one if the police ask for it they will confiscate your phone.  Just another one of the many cultural differences that I'm learning about being an expat.

For those that are visiting Medellin I would highly recommend using John's services.  He is very knowledgable about the city, fluent in English, very personable, charges fair prices, and has been extremely helpful in many areas.  His contact information is in my photo link that I posted under "Fotos de Colombia" or he can be reached at 315 507 6772.

Chao

[utopiacowboy]

... in response to Cell Phone Use in SA, posted by pablo on Oct 11, 2004

You amaze me, Pablo! How did you ever find a cabdriver in Medellin who speaks fluent English? I couldn't even find a certified translator (including those listed by the US embassy for document translation) who spoke fluent English.

[pablo]

... in response to Re: Cell Phone Use in SA, posted by utopiacowboy on Oct 12, 2004


Actually, I have met three of them that speak English.  They all are associated with the agencies or the hotels here.  John is my favorite though as he is very personable and honest.

[papi]

... in response to Cell Phone Use in SA, posted by pablo on Oct 11, 2004

i bought a cell in Colombia but lost it in Bogota. the interesting thing with cells in Colombia is that answering calls are no charge - no airtime. yu only pay for minutes to make calls by buying prepaid cards. so having one is good for folks to get ahold of you. on the photo - i went to the Foto Japon and had the card they give yu when yu buy the phone laminated with the pic. wish however i had lost the card and not the damn phone

[papi]

... in response to Re: Cell Phone Use in SA, posted by papi on Oct 12, 2004

i reread your post and see that you more or less mentioned some of the things i said - i am a little tired as it is late in the evening. sorry for being redundant

[david hagar]

... in response to Cell Phone Use in SA, posted by pablo on Oct 11, 2004

i would like to thank you for the valuable information on the usage of the cell phones in South America

Beattledog

[Z]

... in response to Cell Phone Use in SA, posted by pablo on Oct 11, 2004

I am looking into buying a new cell phone. I was told by AT&T that if I buy a quad-band phone (one of their international phones), that when I get to Colombia I can go to a cell phone company, sign up for their service, and switch out the SIM card in my phone with the one from the company there, and have my phone working there with the local service. Anyone on the board have personal experience in doing this? Maybe this is what they did for you, Pablo?

[pablo]

... in response to Re: Cell Phone Use in SA, posted by Z on Oct 11, 2004


My phone is a Qualcomm 3G CDMA, model LG VX4400.  I assume I could get it reprogrammed back in the States if I needed to but as I will be living here I didn´t mind having a carrier reprogram it with a local phone number.

[AnzoNevis]

... in response to Re: Cell Phone Use in SA, posted by Z on Oct 11, 2004

I've got a quad band Erickson that I have hooked up with T-Mobile. The phone works just fine in Europe, Russia, South America (the only places I've tried it).I just turn on the phone, it searches for the national/local carrier, identifies who it is, and off I go. That's what a quad band phone is supposed to do. No problems. No sign ups. The bill shows up on my normal T-Mobile bill. I was going to buy the quad band from Cingular, but they said I'd have to be a customer for a YEAR before the international features would work. I don't think so...make sure you know their rules before signing up.
Regards,

Anzo

[el Cantante]

... in response to Re: Re: Cell Phone Use in SA, posted by AnzoNevis on Oct 11, 2004

On My last trip there, my T-mobil quad-band worked, and my Singular Tri-band worked on the previous trips. They were on international roaming mode, which will cost you a fortune for a lengthy conversation. It was $1.99-2.49/min. to receive and $3.99 to call out. I checked if I could buy a prepaid SIM card to pop it into my Cel. They told me I had to buy a cel as well. They did not sell SIM card by itself.

[Z]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Cell Phone Use in SA, posted by el Cantante on Oct 11, 2004

Did you try to buy the SIM card through Bell South or any of the bigger companies? Yes, the international plans are expensive. That's why the AT&T rep here told me about just buying the SIM card. What did you end up doing?

[el Cantante]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Cell Phone Use in SA, posted by Z on Oct 11, 2004

No, I checked with independent cel stores on the street and the booths in La 14, and they all told me the same thing. I had no choice but to leave my US cel on for important business calls. I told the no so important caller I would call them back, and I did later with a prepaid card from my girlfriend's house.