TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Phone

One thing youmight yo keep in mind. Your not in the US any more. So any internet connection goes througj a local carrier. Phone connection s too.

Wendrll

Thanks for the info BeachKitten. Does the phone just need to work with one of those three frequencies (700/800 or 900 mhz)? Or does it need to list all three?

Just one.

Thanks.

The Chippie SIM card I bought at UTS (and I am pretty sure it would be the same no matter where purchased) had all 3 sizes on the card. You just break out the size needed and you are good to go. They put the SIM card in the phone for me at UTS and made sure everything worked. Tech Hub would do the same as probably The Mailbox would also if the person working is knowledgeable.

Thanks. I thought that would be the case but wanted to make sure. Appreciate all the advice.

I bought a DOGEE rehab phone on Amazon for about 65$. Worked fine in SXM with UTS card.

Looking on Amazon, I can get the BLU Advance S5 HD – Unlocked Single Sim Smartphone, 16GB+1GB RAM -Black for 50 bucks. Unlocked and works on any GSM system. Among others, works on 4g LTE band 28 which corresponds to 700 MHz. Does anyone know why this phone would not work? Thanks in advance.

Here is the SIM card. You can see it is a multi sized card.

Do you have an older phone at home that is not in use? Even my old iPhone 4 worked with the chipper sim. I just stopped using it when I got a newer iPhone and moved my sim to my 7. I bet If you ask friends and family they may have a phone kicking around

I have two hanging around! lol....and isn't it so funny how heavy and thick they are? Compared to our latest iPhones?

Good suggestion. I have several old phones lying around. Will see if I have one that still operates effectively.

Speaking as a "computer/phone dummy", I am taking my current phone (LG -x4) on my upcoming SXM trip. My carrier is Spectrum. I called them today and they said I can make calls on St Maarten for .$0.50/call . I intend to use my laptop for wifi communication on Island. I realize that wifi won't work in car.
Does this all sound correct or am I missing something?

Norm--I don't know anything about Spectrum, but I suspect if they said $.50, they meant $.50 per MINUTE.

I would call Spectrum back and see if you get the same answer.

Sounds to good to be true. I would call again and request that info in an email return to you or a text stating it's .50 a call.

I found this rate sheet for Spectrum. Not really sure how to read it but it looks like 7 cents per minute (which sounds too good to be true) but I would still contact Spectrum for clarification. If these are the rates, they appear to be pretty decent.

Spectrum Rate Sheet Scroll to Netherlands Antilles.

Or go to the link below and enter "Netherlands Antilles"

Spectrum International

It does appear one may have to call Spectrum to turn on the international option.

Spectrum FAQ

From that rate sheet calls made "while visiting" St. Maarten are 25 cents a minute with 10 cents/text and 25 cents per MB data. So all your texts and emails you normally get at home on that phone you will pay for

But, it appears rates drop with the Feb. billing statement. Not sure when Norm is going to be on the island.

Good point...and they are SIGNIFICANT drops in prices

1/23-2/11, JD. I did call Spectrum back yesterday. Got the 7 cent a minute call price. Will call again to confirm everything mentioned here including International call connection. Thanks for all the help.

I just looked at my most recent Verizon bill. Calls I made to SXM from the US on “Wi-Fi” were billed as 5 minutes and the cost was 7.96. Pretty steep. I do know if I had called from my Spectrum home
Phone it would have been much less. But when on the island calling back to the US, when on Wi-Fi there was no charge. It’s a business account so I can’t see “live” but when I bill out it will show me what the cost was calling on Wi-Fi while in SXM to locations in SXM.

Yep. pretty good deal if it is as it appears?

Kim, I don't know why you were charged on a WIFI call to SXM.

Kim- I use WIFI calling while in SXM because I need to make calls for work. It works great from our villa where the WIFI service is good.

When WIFI calling, the phone assumes your are in your home country. Therefore I can call home from SXM as if it is a local call and people in the US can call me.

I do NOT make any calls to local SXM places. They will be charged as if you are calling SXM from the US.

Last year, my brother in law did not realize this and used my phone to make several local calls. They were billed to me and weren't cheap.

I use WhatsApp for local calls on island. If the number your calling has WhatsApp on their phone it will show up in your contacts.

Wifi calling, as mentioned, is no cost to the USA and no cost for callers to you from the USA. If I called the Peli Deli from SBR it would be an international call. If I call California from SBR there would be no charge

I have received (in SXM) maybe 5 calls from contacts in the USA this week...no issues EXCEPT you will not have access to voicemail. It will show a missed call and you can call them back

Again. I use whatsapp. no charges locally in SXM or to the States. Also my phone is Republic Wireless which is WIFI based with Sprint backup for non WIFI connection here in the States $22 a month. BUT when I am out of the country AND at a WIFI connection the phone works as I was in the US. Calls to my local number come to me where ever I am. I can call out to any US number. Out of the country numbers won't work. But then whatsapp solves that problem.

there is no extra phone to buy. No extra chip to buy. No additional billing

Wendell

Yep. WhatsApp is a great app.

YUp...whatsapp is great IF the person you are calling also has the app

..........wifi calling works great to anyone and does not need an app on either end...just a wifi signal

..........Verizon Travel Pass i(or similar) is worth getting to use in cases where your HAVE to make a call....$10/24 hour period if used

..........the Spectrum plan sounds decent if it is as presented

Kim said that she was billed on WIFI calls to SXM from the states......

SXM is not in the USA thus there is a charge...call the Peli Deli from the USA ...charge....call anywhere in the USA FROM SXM ...no charge...call the US cell phone of a friend staying in SXM...no charge