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Thread: 06/2008 - Viva SIM cards

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    06/2008 - Viva SIM cards

    There is a new cell phone company in Santo Domingo. I am not sure if they are on the north shore yet. It is called Viva. This company is spreading like wild fire because they are very cheap to use. They advertise on SDQ tv (with a trained horse!!) as charging 7 centavos per minute. CHEAP! The best part is, it is that same price to call the US. They are using a simular internet interface as does Skype. But you can use it from your handset. No computer needed. I am now getting phone calls from chicas and we talk on their dime. When I receive a phone call from a Viva phone, the caller ID says 000-000-0000. I get the same display when receiving a call from Skype.

    Viva will sell you a SIM card alone for your unlocked phone. They are charging 100 pesos for the card and you charge it just like the other companies do there, with pre-pay cards you can get on the street. In the beginning of June, I used a Viva phone to call back home. The sound quality was excellent. I am not sure what is required for a foreigner to purchase a Viva SIM Card. But I know an application must be filled out so I am sure ID will be required. My current DR phone does not use a SIM card so I didn't purchase a Viva card. But I now have an unlocked Blackberry and will get one when I return to SDQ in August.

    A note for AT+T and T-mobile customers. There are several phones being sold on E-bay (Chinese manufactures) that are "Dual SIM - Dual Standby" phones. That means you can put your AT+T or T-mobile SIM card in the phone and also put your DR SIM card in the phone. Both cards work at the same time. Two phones, one handset. The one I like is a copy of a Blackberry Pearl. It goes for around $120.00 and comes with a three year warranty.

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    The Dual SIM - Dual Standby phone sounds interesting, must be something new on the market....I think I'll be in the market for one

    Can someone explain this phone a little more in depth.....just for our info
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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    VIVA isthe new name for Centennial. They have been around for years but just got bought out and the new owners wanted to change the image. You are correct in that the signal is strong and will be even better as the owners have deep pockets and are using new tech.

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Hey LM. Go on E-bay and put "Dual SIM" in the search engine. All the phones come up. But be careful. There are phones that are Dual SIM -Single standby. These phones carry two cards, but you must toggle between them. I other words, the SIM card you are lock onto will be the only line to ring. The other line will go to voice mail. With a Dual Standby phone, both SIM cards will ring when you receive a call form either. That is the way to go IMO.

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Cheeno where's your report on this..............The santa domingo king....

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    So you want a Dual Standby-Dual Sim from what I understand....I'm looking for a new cell phone...thanks for the info

    I would like to have two separate numbers on one phone...one personal, one business....this is just the ticket


    I'm checking some of the stuff on E-Bay now

    I see someone gave me a Fuck-You for asking for additional info.....and a fellow Canadian also
    Last edited by LM; 06-29-2008 at 12:50 PM.

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Hey Clark! You are correct about Centennial being the original company. But Viva is new management . Centennial always had crappy service outside of big cities. Viva has caught Claro and Orange flat footed. It is funny, but when I flew down late May, I sat next a guy who sells fiber optic cables designed to be placed on the ocean floor to carry internet signals. He told me he had a meeting the next day with Claro. He said they were very interested in purchasing his cable but Claro wouldn't tell him what they were going to do with it. When I had that conversation on the jet, it didn't make sense why Calro would want submersible cable for internet. But after learning about Viva, I am sure that Claro is scrambling to keep up with the Jones.

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Viva is a prepaid cell phone service?
    Searching for the ultimate Squirter!

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    No, they are a full service company. You can purchase phones from them too. They have plans as well as pre-pay. They now have booths set up in the malls and supermarkets. Their main office is on Winston Churchill. But remember, they will sell you just a SIM card as well.
    Last edited by Vincent Vega; 06-29-2008 at 12:43 PM. Reason: Additional info

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    okay have to admit at times I'm a little technologically challenged - with this whole phone thing:

    Is it better to (1) just get a phone for use in the DR? (2) Take an old phone and get a card there that can be activated? (a) I have an old Verizon phone I haven't used in a year+ (b) get DR SIM card for current ATT phone - if I "lose" it no biggie, I'm due for an upgrade from ATT when I get back in a week.

    outside of that I'm pretty set: still need that Kyrpto lock that connects to furniture, have others; but really like that one; and have to get to NYC downtown to pick DR tourist card - just to save hassle getting off plane


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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Hey carolinajack. Verizon (and Sprint too) use a system called CDMA. They have no SIM card in the USA. CDMA in Europe does use SIM cards. In fact, there are dual SIM cell phones that support a CDMA card and a GSM card. I have Sprint (no SIM). My phone works in the DR. So, Sprint CDMA is supported. But it is very expensive because the phone is roaming.

    Claro, Orange and now Viva operate on GSM. GSM is the most popular cell phone system in the world. What you need to remember is this. You need a unlocked cell phone that supports GSM 1900 for use in the DR, IF you plan to use a SIM card from one of the phone companies there. AT+T and T-Mobile here in the USA use GSM. But not all of their phones operate in GSM 1900. But most of their new phones do.

    So, in nut shell, your Verizon cell phone will work in the DR. But, it needs to activated in the USA and it will be expensive due to roaming. If you want to use a phone you purchase here for use in the DR, you will need to get an unlocked, GSM cell phone that supports 1900. Most GSM tri-band and quad-band phones support GSM 1900.

    That reminds me. Be careful when you look at the dual SIM card phones on E-bay. Some of the Dual SIM phones on E-bay only support GSM 1800 and will not work in the DR. Make sure you read the info on the phone you want.

    Remember - Unlocked-GSM 1900

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Quote Originally Posted by wmarks345 View Post
    So, in nut shell, your Verizon cell phone will work in the DR. But, it needs to activated in the USA and it will be expensive due to roaming.
    Just to clairfy, you CAN use a Verizon CDMA cell phone in the DR AND have it activated down there. Generally, any of the cell phone shops in town can reprogram your Verizon, Sprint or any CDMA phone to have a DR number and work down there. It takes a couple of hours and the last person I knew who did this, it cost him around 500 pesos and that included 100 pesos credit on his phone when he got it back after being reprogrammed.

    A word of warning though, if you do plan to reprogram a CDMA phone for use in the DR, plan on using it exclusively down there. A friend of mine who had this done to this Verizon phone, thought he could bring his phone back to the US and use it again. That was not the case. Whatever was reprogrammed in his phone screwed up the phone's ability to access the Verizon network here in the US and he ultimately had to buy a new phone to use here.

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    You are correct about Verizon CDMA phones down there. As I stated in one of my threads, I have a DR phone that does not have a SIM card. I got the phone when Verizon was still in operation. It is a CDMA phone. And you are also correct that you can have a CDMA phone programed in the DR as well. BUT! the person who does it must know what they are doing. The phone must be "flashed" with OME software and unlocked at the same time. If it is done wrong, the phone is toast.

    It will now be hard to find someone to do this as I believe Claro is no longer offering this service. You will need one of the associate dealers to do it. There is a guy in the Central Mall in Santo Domingo that does it. Then, even if it is done right, you are stuck with one company down there. That is the reason I didn't mention it. Too much trouble. But if someone has a CDMA phone and does not want to purchase a CSM phone, then this is the only way to go. I got rid of my CDMA phone and now have a Blackberry for the DR.

    If you know someone who knows how to flash phones here in the USA, I can tell you how to get a free CSM 1900 Nokia 1600B. Net10 offers this phone for $30.00, but also gives you $30.00 worth of time on your new phone. You can use the time on the phone and then get it flashed. You guys in New York can probably find lots of guys who do this. I can't find anyone where I live.

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Sweet! My second FU in as many weeks! I guess I am now a "certified" ISOC member now?

    ::ducks as the FU barrage begins!::

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Quote Originally Posted by wmarks345 View Post
    Hey carolinajack. Verizon (and Sprint too) use a system called CDMA. They have no SIM card in the USA. CDMA in Europe does use SIM cards. In fact, there are dual SIM cell phones that support a CDMA card and a GSM card. I have Sprint (no SIM). My phone works in the DR. So, Sprint CDMA is supported. But it is very expensive because the phone is roaming.

    Claro, Orange and now Viva operate on GSM. GSM is the most popular cell phone system in the world. What you need to remember is this. You need a unlocked cell phone that supports GSM 1900 for use in the DR, IF you plan to use a SIM card from one of the phone companies there. AT+T and T-Mobile here in the USA use GSM. But not all of their phones operate in GSM 1900. But most of their new phones do.

    So, in nut shell, your Verizon cell phone will work in the DR. But, it needs to activated in the USA and it will be expensive due to roaming. If you want to use a phone you purchase here for use in the DR, you will need to get an unlocked, GSM cell phone that supports 1900. Most GSM tri-band and quad-band phones support GSM 1900.

    That reminds me. Be careful when you look at the dual SIM card phones on E-bay. Some of the Dual SIM phones on E-bay only support GSM 1800 and will not work in the DR. Make sure you read the info on the phone you want.

    Remember - Unlocked-GSM 1900
    Anybody have an update on this or a better thread to go to. I would like to get a phone that works in Sosua. I got one down there last year and didn't have much luck with it. Wouldn't mind buying one in US that works in DR.

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Quote Originally Posted by tiger89 View Post
    Anybody have an update on this or a better thread to go to. I would like to get a phone that works in Sosua. I got one down there last year and didn't have much luck with it. Wouldn't mind buying one in US that works in DR.

    Just buy yourself a quad band unlocked GSM phone....works anywhere in the world

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Quote Originally Posted by LM View Post
    Just buy yourself a quad band unlocked GSM phone....works anywhere in the world
    Thanks. Any special brand or service??

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Quote Originally Posted by tiger89 View Post
    Thanks. Any special brand or service??

    Any brand you want...Motorolas are nice....you go with the sim card carrier of the country your in....

    In the DR it's Orange, I think

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Quote Originally Posted by LM View Post
    Any brand you want...Motorolas are nice....you go with the sim card carrier of the country your in....
    You mean buy a sim card for the US and get another sim card in DR?

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    Re: Viva SIM cards

    Quote Originally Posted by tiger89 View Post
    You mean buy a sim card for the US and get another sim card in DR?

    Yep.......sim cards are cheap....I was suprised in Thailand, we bought sim cards for our phones at the airport for the equivelent of $6, and it covered me for the 2 weeks I was there, I had time left after the trip....

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