CELL PHONES

do any of you have A t & T cell phone service & have you been able to use it while in Tortola/Anegada?

There must be a tower on St. John, we get good reception in the Bight. Elsewhere, not so much.

We pay a monthly fee ($6 ??)for international access and can use the phone pretty much anywhere. Beware if you use this option however because you do pay by the minute (50 cents/minute) for each voice call. We usually text which is a straight 50 cents per text per person.

Don't forget to turn off data roaming. That's where the real money comes into play.

there are many other solutions using SIM cards, but we find that too complicated for us.

The international fee is only for roaming. AT&T has a strong presence on the west side of Tortola, Jost, and Norman. Once our U.S. phone is on Lime or Digicel, we switch to our boat phone. We have Lime sim which is very inexpensive. Sliding a sim into a slot is anything but complicated.

There is a new cell tower on St. John East End. In January we had service to Cooper Island for the first time. Past there we have a Lime prepaid phone and a Digicel prepaid router.

Cheers, RickG

AT&T also has an international data plan. It provides 300MB of data for $60. Not exactly a great deal, but it lasts me about 2 weeks on Anegada if I plan to do bigger data downloads at a wifi spot.

On Anegada, the roaming partner for voice and data is Lime. The signal is decent most places.

I think the real benefit for the AT&T plan ($30 or $60) is that texting is free and unlimited. When in the BVI we using texting to stay in contact with folks back home. It works anywhere you pick up a Lime or other signal.

sounds great, we purchased the $30 plan from at & t & yes the texting is perfect to have, thanks, can't wait !!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

I'll have to check that I have the right plan. My texts still cost $0.50 unless they are an iMessage which actually uses data and is not really a text at all.

roaming texts are still .50, free if still on AT&T signal. We get 10 GB included with our family plan, not sure why you would buy 30MB for $60. Lime is way cheaper then that, you get 5 GB for $50.

If we are still talking about AT&T, then your information is incorrect and/or out-of-date. Having just purchased the $30 plan in December I can tell you for a fact that roaming texting was free in the BVIs. In addition, you get 120MB of data with the $30 plan.

But don't take my word go to: http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/international.html

You might have a different family plan, but my 10 GB is not international data. I buy 300mb of international data because I don't need a $50 Lime plan every month and the 300mb is enough for cover when I'm not at a wifi spot on Anegada. If I could get Lime sim, I also would not be able to receive text messages or calls on my US number.

I would consider a Lime plan on a separate device, but they will not ship to the U.S. and I don't go to Tortola to be able to go to the store. No Lime stores on Anegada.

You might have a different family plan, but my 10 GB is not international data

Exactly the same thing I am saying. I think we are having a semantics problem. You do not need to renew your Lime plan, you can buy it buy the GIG, for a month time period. If someone texts my US phone it's 50 cents to me and free to the texter. You do not need Lime to get a phone, any unlocked device will work.

If you don't want to bother with a store, go to mrsimcard.com. Easy and a heck of lot cheaper than 300Mb for $60!