Cell Phones in CR??

[vinsp]

What type of cell phones do they have in ffice:smarttags" />Costa Rica I have a sim card phone I use in the Middle East and was wondering if it was worth bringing it along. Do the use sim phone down there and how expensive are the cards and minutes if they are available? Starting to get seriously excited about this trip cant wait to get out of town.
Thanks Scott

[Sluester]

Vacation? Leave the thing home.

[vinsp]

OOOhhhh no i dont want it for work and any one who gives the number to my wife dies lol

[squirtis]

How long is your trip and how often do you go?

I bought a Nokia in Panama for $31 with activation and car charger and a $10 card lasts me forever...

[jimfrogs]

Cell phones in Costa Rica are a nightmare. Poor service and the government has a monopoly on telecommunications. Even the use of personal computers for calling is illegal there. For a non citizen to legally use a phone there they have to put up a deposit in person in the San Jose office. I think it was $500 US last I tried. Some phones will work there or you can rent a sim card from a local and put it in your phone. That is what I do there. Any way you look at it it is third world service. Worst country I have ever found for cell phones and driving on the roads.

[squirtis]

Cell phones in Costa Rica are a nightmare. Poor service and the government has a monopoly on telecommunications. Even the use of personal computers for calling is illegal there. For a non citizen to legally use a phone there they have to put up a deposit in person in the San Jose office. I think it was $500 US last I tried. Some phones will work there or you can rent a sim card from a local and put it in your phone. That is what I do there. Any way you look at it it is third world service. Worst country I have ever found for cell phones and driving on the roads.

OUCH!!

Good to know..thanks Jimfrogs!

[sancocho]

in Costa Rica only work the US cell phone who have a digital service with GSM technology and have active the roaming service and a billing acount, i am not sure if the US cell phone what use the prepaid phone cards can work too,

In Guatemala, salvador, Honduras, nicaragua, panama you just need to buy the SIM card or chip for 3$ or 5$ in panama for your US cell phone and prepaid phone cards, just find what digital service you use in home or the cell phone can be unloked to use the 2 more important digital service GSM,CDMA

the 3 importants cell phone company in this contries are TELEOFNICA, CLARO and TIGO but not in Costa Rica,

I use my Guatemala unloked cell phone in El salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras and Ecuador just buyiing a TELEFONICA sim card,

suerte,

[Enfuego]

Cell phones in Costa Rica are a nightmare. Poor service and the government has a monopoly on telecommunications. Even the use of personal computers for calling is illegal there. For a non citizen to legally use a phone there they have to put up a deposit in person in the San Jose office. I think it was $500 US last I tried. Some phones will work there or you can rent a sim card from a local and put it in your phone. That is what I do there. Any way you look at it it is third world service. Worst country I have ever found for cell phones and driving on the roads.

You have to have a Tiko buy it for you to make it halfway affordable. There are a few deck hands in Los Suenos that will rent you theirs.
That is the easiest route if you are in the area.

They have so few cell sites their it is almost not worth it.

[kinembe]

most foreign services do not work here, about 1 in 20 of my clients who think their phone will work here actually have it work, even with paying extra for the plan. there are companies that rent phones, here is one...Cellular Costa Rica Cell Phone Rental

if you want your own line you need to have a corporation in costa rica and with that you can pay $25 for the line and have your very own line. i have an extra line and phone for my clients to use while here and all they have to pay is the phone calls they make.

[iclypso]

Coverage on the Nicoya peninsula is hit/miss but rentals are available in most of the more popular towns.