SIMS for Costa Rica?

[mr3d]

Anyone know if there are prepaid SIMS available for CR?
mr3d

[ShoresGuy]

Info on getting a SIM for Costa Rica with the only network, I.C.E. is quite scarce. In the past, it was difficult to get a SIM or to roam with them in the first place due to a lack of roaming agreements.

http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...ght=costa+rica
http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...ght=costa+rica
http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...ght=costa+rica
http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...ght=costa+rica
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=481
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=622
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=595

Hope this helps

[mr3d]

ShoresGuy,
Thanks for the links. I checked the first discussion and concluded that I'd best rely upon land lines while I'm in CR (just 3 weeks). Sounds like the Cingular international roaming service would be of little use there also.
For Europe though, I plan to be prepared with an unlocked phone...
mr3d

[ShoresGuy]

You won't have a problem here in Europe with a GSM 900/1800-capable phone since the prepaid infrastructure here in much more visitor friendly.

[mr3d]

Any possibility that T-Mobile International roaming will work with a quad-band phone there in CR? I think the calls are listed at 1.99/minute, so I won't be talking much, but would like to be able to be contacted or make calls for anything important, both from California and within CR
mr3d

[mframe]

According to this link, Cingular does roam on the 1800 Mhz GSM network.

http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/tra...L=188&MNC=CING

[mr3d]

Originally Posted by mframe

According to this link, Cingular does roam on the 1800 Mhz GSM network.

http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/tra...L=188&MNC=CING

Thanks...
Is T-Mobile's coverage in CR likely to be similar to Cingular's, or are they completely independant internationally?
mr3d

[mframe]

If T-Mobile allows roaming in Costa Rica, it will be on that same 1800 Mhz network. That is the only GSM there, currently. I think the only other cellular service there (at 850 Mhz), is still TDMA and AMPS. Cingular TDMA and GAIT phones used to be able to roam on the old 850 Mhz network, but Cingular's website no longer mentions it, so I don't know if that is still possible.

[ShoresGuy]

I'm afraid I don't quite understand your question. The coverage of a foreign network won't change based on the native provider you have back home.

[mr3d]

ShoresGuy,
So, I'm pretty uninformed when it comes to this roaming business. How does it work, nationally, and internationally?
Both T-Mobile and Cingular offer international GSM roaming in CR. Does that mean that their coverage would be essentially identical in quality and scope?
mr3d

[ShoresGuy]

No problem , we try to help as best as we can. In Costa Rica, your reception will be the same regardless of whether you roam there with a T-Mobile or Cingular SIM card since there is only the I.C.E. network which T-Mobile and Cingular can roam on in C.R.

However, the reception varies for any country where there is more than 1 GSM provider. It also depends on whom T-Mobile and Cingular have a roaming agreement with in that given country. Most of the time in Europe they'll have roaming agreements with more than 1 GSM provider in a given country. For instance, I can take my German SIM card to Italy and roam on WIND and TIM Italy since my provider signed a roaming agreement with those 2 providers. However, I can't roam on Vodafone Italy. So then the reception does differ based on the provider I select. Both WIND and TIM may perform equally well in an area or one may have better coverage than the other in another location. This is due to the tower placement or setup that each foreign provider decides on. In Europe, most providers tend to co-share locations such as rooftops where they set up their own equipment. But in the end, it all depends on which foreign provider you choose to roam on and how well their network is built out.

Hope this helps

[mr3d]

ShoresGuy,
Well yes, thanks, that does help a lot. As T-Mobile will set me up with International roaming from day one, whereas Cingular wants me to wait for 90 days after I become a customer, this decision for the CR trip is made easy (departing in just over 70 days). And T-Mobile states right off that they will unlock the phone after 3 months, while Cingular managers in the stores act like they never do that, so by the time of my next trip to Europe I'll be assured that I can use European sims if I go with T-Mobile.
BTW, when you go to Italy, have you noticed that a lot of the young people, especially guys, have several cell phones? In the trains and stations it can be comical to watch them juggle two calls at once, while also texting on a third...
all with elan, of course.
mr3d

[ShoresGuy]

Lol yep but that's an occasional sight here in Germany too.