06/2008 - Viva SIM cards

[Vincent Vega]

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.

[LM]

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:wink:

[Clark Kent]

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.

[Vincent Vega]

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.

[Tony Badabing]

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

[LM]

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:rolleyes:.....and a fellow Canadian also

[Vincent Vega]

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.

[MegaSquirt]

Viva is a prepaid cell phone service?

[Vincent Vega]

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.

[carolinajack]

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

[Vincent Vega]

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

[dijinn]

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.

[Vincent Vega]

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.

[dijinn]

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

::ducks as the FU barrage begins!::

[Tiger]

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.

[LM]

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

[Tiger]

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

Thanks. Any special brand or service??

[LM]

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....:wink:

In the DR it's Orange, I think

[Tiger]

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

You mean buy a sim card for the US and get another sim card in DR?

[LM]

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....

[Tiger]

Yep.......sim cards are cheap....

Great! Thanks allot for the info.

[Vincent Vega]

Hey Tiger89,be careful when purchasing a quad band phone. Not all quad band phones work in the DR. If a phone is set up to work in Europe, it probably will not support GSM 1900. Those phones support GSM 1800.
If you read this thread again, you will see that if a phone does not support GSM 1900 or CDMA 1900, it will not work in the DR.

IMO, the best phone you can purchase for the DR is an UNLOCKED, GSM 1900 phone. You can get them on ebay all day long. Cheap too. If it is tri band or quad band, all you need to do is read the description and make sure the phone has GSM 1900. I purchased a Blackberry and it works great.

Your service quality will depend on which phone company you go with. Personally, I like Viva. The chip is about $3 dollars (100 pesos) and it is the same price to call the USA as it is to call any where else in the DR. However, I am not so sure Viva's service is strong on the north coast. I do know that Orange and Claro work good there. But if you purchase the correct phone for the job, you can get what ever chip you want. I have two Viva chips and a Claro for a back up for when I am in the campo.

Remember this and you can't go wrong: UNLOCKED, GSM 1900.

[Tiger]

Hey Tiger89,be careful when purchasing a quad band phone. Not all quad band phones work in the DR. If a phone is set up to work in Europe, it probably will not support GSM 1900. Those phones support GSM 1800.
If you read this thread again, you will see that if a phone does not support GSM 1900 or CDMA 1900, it will not work in the DR.

IMO, the best phone you can purchase for the DR is an UNLOCKED, GSM 1900 phone. You can get them on ebay all day long. Cheap too. If it is tri band or quad band, all you need to do is read the description and make sure the phone has GSM 1900. I purchased a Blackberry and it works great.

Your service quality will depend on which phone company you go with. Personally, I like Viva. The chip is about $3 dollars (100 pesos) and it is the same price to call the USA as it is to call any where else in the DR. However, I am not so sure Viva's service is strong on the north coast. I do know that Orange and Claro work good there. But if you purchase the correct phone for the job, you can get what ever chip you want. I have two Viva chips and a Claro for a back up for when I am in the campo.

Remember this and you can't go wrong: UNLOCKED, GSM 1900.

Thanks for taking the time to share that with me. I really appreaciate it!

[Kevy]

Hey Tiger89,be careful when purchasing a quad band phone. Not all quad band phones work in the DR. If a phone is set up to work in Europe, it probably will not support GSM 1900. Those phones support GSM 1800.
If you read this thread again, you will see that if a phone does not support GSM 1900 or CDMA 1900, it will not work in the DR.

IMO, the best phone you can purchase for the DR is an UNLOCKED, GSM 1900 phone. You can get them on ebay all day long. Cheap too. If it is tri band or quad band, all you need to do is read the description and make sure the phone has GSM 1900. I purchased a Blackberry and it works great.

Your service quality will depend on which phone company you go with. Personally, I like Viva. The chip is about $3 dollars (100 pesos) and it is the same price to call the USA as it is to call any where else in the DR. However, I am not so sure Viva's service is strong on the north coast. I do know that Orange and Claro work good there. But if you purchase the correct phone for the job, you can get what ever chip you want. I have two Viva chips and a Claro for a back up for when I am in the campo.

Remember this and you can't go wrong: UNLOCKED, GSM 1900.


You are thinking of a tri band, if it is a quad band it will have 1900, Not all tri bands will work.

I wouldn't bother with CDMA pphones, stick to GSM. Claro was moving to GSM when I was there in 2007, and Orange was always GSM.

[Vincent Vega]

There is another option. If you are staying in a hotel that has high speed internet and you have a laptop or they have computers available for your use, you can go to Magicjack.com and purchase their product for $40.00. That breaks down this way. It is a one time $20.00 charge for the device and $20.00 a year for the service.

You plug the Magicjack into a USB port and then connect a regular house phone to the Magicjack. You can then call any phone in the USA for free no matter where you are in the world as long as you have high speed internet connection. When you register your Magicjack, they assign a US phone number to your device. While you are in the DR and you are connected to the internet, people in the USA can call that number and it will ring on your computer. This call will cost you and your friends or business associates nothing.

I now use Magicjack on my desktop in my home in Santo Domingo. I have a cordless phone, with a built in answering machine, connected to the device. It works great for me.

[MegaSquirt]

There is another option. If you are staying in a hotel that has high speed internet and you have a laptop or they have computers available for your use, you can go to Magicjack.com and purchase their product for $40.00. That breaks down this way. It is a one time $20.00 charge for the device and $20.00 a year for the service.

You plug the Magicjack into a USB port and then connect a regular house phone to the Magicjack. You can then call any phone in the USA for free no matter where you are in the world as long as you have high speed internet connection. When you register your Magicjack, they assign a US phone number to your device. While you are in the DR and you are connected to the internet, people in the USA can call that number and it will ring on your computer. This call will cost you and your friends or business associates nothing.

I now use Magicjack on my desktop in my home in Santo Domingo. I have a cordless phone, with a built in answering machine, connected to the device. It works great for me.

I was thinking of getting "MagicJack" but there are alot of bad reviews about them.

[Vincent Vega]

I have heard those remarks about the Magicjack as well. However, mine works great in Santo Domingo. One other thing you can do is to use Skype. Your version of Skype must be registered in the USA for this to work. With your registred version of skype connected to the internet you can call back to the USA for about 2 cents a minute. The reason this works is Skype doesn't know it is out of the country. And you can still call 800 numbers for free. Skype now offers a unlimited USA/Canada plan for about $3 dollars a month. I am sure this will work for calling home from the DR as well. They also offer an unlimited world plan to call 36 differents countries. Unfortunately, the DR isn't one of them.

Hey Kevy, you are correct. I went back and looked at a couple of phones I was interested in and they are tri bands with out 1900. Thanks for the correction.

[Beads]

GSM cellular service seems to be the most popular these days.

Sucks Verizon doesnt use it in the states! I'm sick of these CDMA phones but the service in my area is by far the best using Verizon.

[jd_mine]

Quad band phones will work anywhere as long as they are unlocked and are gsm. Just pop in the local sim chip and call away. A tri-band phone might not work depending on where you bought it. However I never had a europe based tri-band phone that did not work in RD.
Dual bands will mostly not work. At least those from europe. Maybe a dual band from the US works? Do the US use the 1900 band?

[Vincent Vega]

I just learned that Orange in the DR supports 1800 GSM. This is important for dumb asses like me who use Sprint. Sprint (Verizon, Alltel) use CDMA technology. Sprint now offers a Blackberry World Phone (8830?). It works on the CDMA network as usual, but, this phone has an unlocked SIM slot that supports an 1800 GSM SIM card. I assume Orange does this to support their European customers who travel to the DR. Orange is very big in Europe which is mostly 1800 GSM. I then checked Viva and Claro. No 1800. (Sprint has two other phones that also have this feature.)

For me this is good news. I now will not have to carry around two phones everywhere I go in the DR. I still like Viva as it is so cheap to use. However, now that I have Magic Jack connected to my computer in Santo Domingo, I very rarely use my Viva phone to call the states.

I can now get all my calls originated to my number in the states and calls made to my DR number in one phone. If you use AT+T or T-Mobile you can get the dual SIM card phones and accomplish the same thing.

[Tony Badabing]

I guess some people wanna see what a dual phone looks like I know I did for 60 buck's you can get this one off of e-bay......

http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/imagehosting/thum_8123495fff464576a.jpg (http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=50836)

http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/imagehosting/thum_8123495fff614af8f.jpg (http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=50837)

http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/imagehosting/thum_8123495fff7850784.jpg (http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=50838)