Using cellphones in Colombia

[Kendan]

This is great information!

KD

[Sandman0011]

You can actually use a tri or quad band unlocked GSM cell phone in Colombia (althought the Tri will usually be an older model); Err on the side of having an inexpensive older Nokia or other brand. The newer, more expensive Razors I Phone Etc. Models are big targets for theft here.

Comcel, Tigo and Movistar are the three main providers. It is less epensive to call Comcel to Comcel, Tigo to Tigo for example than it is to call Comcel to Tigo Etc. ; I have found Comcel to have excellent coverage in MDE. I even receive and place calls in elevators sometimes without any problems. Only signal problems I have ever experienced is outside the city in rural country areas. (The valley where Medellin is located has around 650 cell phone masts according to city authorities and more than 3, 000 microwave sources including cell phone telephony according to the National Ministry of Communications.)

There are many "Walking Cell Phones" where you can make calls and pay by the minute (if you don't want to hassle with your own cell phone). Many small tiends also offer this service

It is more expensive to call a land line from a cell phone (dial 034 first then the landline number);

You can call LD anywhere in Colombia without incurring LD or roaming charges. No city codes are required. So, if you are in CTG and want to call MDE, just dial the cell phone number. No 1+ or anything. Just the 10 digit number. 311-XXX-XXXX;

You can buy SIM chips at stores, malls, on the street etc. Most of the ones you buy on the streets will be unregistered numbers but if you are only here for a short stay, it is no big deal. If you plan to stay longer or visit often, it is best to go to a store and get a registered number. ID and fingerprint required but if you ever have a problem, they can work with it. With an unregistered number, they will just shrug their shoulders. You can also re-charge a registered number at many grocery stores and comcel/tigo/movistar locations without having to do a scratch off. Just pay, they enter your number and voila, you have new minutes.

Prepaid minutes you put into your phone will expire after 90 days. You will loose any unused minutes so buy accordingly. Keep a small denomination card in case you run out of your primary minutes. If you are leaving the in next day or two and still have a lot of minutes left, just hand your phone to your GF. Trust me, she will find a way to use them very quickly.

Loading your sim card and minutes into your phone is relly pretty simple even though all the instructions and confirmations are in Spanish. Here are some pretty simple and easy Comcel instructions to follow and additional information.

http://www.medellintravelguide.com/m..._cellular.html

Customer Service is available 24 hours per day as well as 911 type of assistance

[Phunluv]

You can easily buy an unlocked GSM phone on eBay. There are also unlocking services on the web and on eBay where you can get the code to unlock your phone, shouldn't be more than 20-25 USD.

I've used both my Nokia smartphone and Motorola SLVR in Colombia. The SLVR is similar to the V3 RAZR which is popular both here in the states and Colombia. Very slim and easier to carry around than a smartphone. I'd say leave the expensive phones at home or in a safebox; definitely only take the cheaper one when you go out at night. I lost a SLVR once after a very long night in Bogotá which is about $80 including shipping. :(

You don't want to risk losing anything more valuable than that, especially if you have a lot of personal info on your smartphone.

On a technical note:

My Nokia E61 and Motorola SLVR L2 are both "quad-band" which means you can use them pretty much anywhere in the world. But Colombia uses the exact same GSM "frequencies" that the USA does so pretty much any GSM phone that works in the states can work in Colombia as long as its UNLOCKED.

For cellphone newbies, a GSM phone is any phone that uses a SIM card. Carriers like T-Mobile and Cingular are GSM carriers.

If you're a subscriber, at least 6 months for T-Mobile and a year for Cingular, you can call your carrier and request to have your phone unlocked. Make sure they understand you're not unlocking in order to switch service, just that you are traveling soon and may need to use the phone outside the states. That explanation should avoid any resistance from the agent.

Can't speak about Tigo and Movistar but Comcel supposedly has the best network, however, I found it expensive.

That's why many Colombianas will "timbrar" your phone. That is they'll ring you just once and expect you to call back. It seems rates there are quite a bit pricier than in the states. You won't see too many locals blabbing away on their phones down there.

Maybe one of the reasons why it costs more is that in Colombia, ONLY the caller pays. Plus, buying minutes with the cards is more expensive than the monthly billing plans. But you can maximize your minutes by buying the more expensive recharge cards. . . 30K and 50K COP

If you really want to save, use the street vendors whenever you can. I see rates of 250-350 pesos per minute, you will never get anything close to that on Comcel.

To be fair, I would guess setting up a reliable cellular network in cities nestled between the Andes is a bit of a challenge. Comcel is supposed to be the best but it will cost you.

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[BeersTerry]

I thought a passport is mandatory for an official sim card from an official dealer?

You can always get unofficial cards, but they may eventually get closed down. That has happened to me. The official sim does'nt cost any more and if you are a gringo, why would you care if officials can trace your phone?

GSM Nokia phones are the simplest to unlock for use in Colombia. All it takes is to input a code. I think I paid $2 for the code.

[MiamiHeatLuver]

You do not have to buy a new phone. You can use a a quad band unblocked phone from USA. I dunno which system is in Colombia, but any international phone will work there of course.

I bought a TIGO SIM card in Bogota. I tried to figure out the difference between TIGO and other providers. From what I understood, the calls/messages between the same company are free or very cheap.

Also you do not need to show you passport. It is only for long-term plans. I paid 12K peso and got a SIM card (1000 peso minutes included which is nothing), then I think I paid about 10K peso for additional minutes.

Yes but why would you want to buy an untried quad band phone from the U.S. and pay whatever when you can buy a cheap Nokia that provenly works for $35? When you go into any of the kiosks you need to bring some kind of ID with you, 3 years ago at Comcel they would only accept my passport 2 months ago in Comcel they were happy with my drivers license. Nobody said a passport was mandatory but ask anyway some places are more strict than others.

[Panman]

Like it has been mentioned, Comcel is the biggest and most popular company and will have better signal in most isolated locations. I heard the most complaints for lack of signal from Tigo users. Calls to phones of the same company cost less.

I bought some cheap quadband unlocked phone on ebay and use that on any of my trips overseas. If you use an american phone company to make calls from Colombia, do so only for emergencies, as it is very expensive.

Best way to call internationally from there is to find call centers, every shopping mall has one. Avoid calling conventional house numbers from the cell phone as well.

[Goga Fung]

You do not have to buy a new phone. You can use a a quad band unblocked phone from USA. I dunno which system is in Colombia, but any international phone will work there of course.

I bought a TIGO SIM card in Bogota. I tried to figure out the difference between TIGO and other providers. From what I understood, the calls/messages between the same company are free or very cheap.

Also you do not need to show you passport. It is only for long-term plans. I paid 12K peso and got a SIM card (1000 peso minutes included which is nothing), then I think I paid about 10K peso for additional minutes.

[Tom 33]

You can buy a cheap cell for 60K or so. Coverage is pretty good where there are people, but the mountains cause problems.

I know of nothing in the US that would work here. For calling the US there are cabinas that provide reasonable rates. Don't use your cell.

[MiamiHeatLuver]

I'm planning a 4-week trip to Colombia over the holidays that will include Cartagena, Medellin, and Bogota. I'm already pretty certain that my U.S. Verizon phone will be useless there. So, some questions:

1. Can I rent (or buy cheaply) a phone that I can use throughout the trip?

2. Is coverage limited to major/medium cities?

3. How much would I expect to pay to use it to call the US?

4. Would it be cheaper/more convenient to buy a phone in the US that would work in Colombia (if so, which one? which plan?)

Thanks all,

KD

Your Verizon MIGHT pick up signal in Colombia check international coverage but it is very very expensive probably like $2-$3 a minute.

You can go to any Cell phone company there, there are 3, COMCEL, TIGO and MOVISTAR all three have their pluses and minuses as far as signal strength go. My novia prefers TIGO as for I prefer Comcel. Go with the Comcel, They are the biggest and best in Colombia!

You can buy the cell phone which is the way to go and then you will have your OWN number to hand out to the locals. You can go into any dedicated store or dedicated KIOSK with just your drivers license or passport. I usually go for the NOKIA's which are cheap and I dont care if they get lost or stolen. They always COME with some free minutes but buy some back up minutes as well for people and chicas will be borrowing them from you as fast as you can buy another re-charge. The phones range from 70mil and up. You can get a nice new Nokia with some minutes installed already for 80mil. $45! The larger you recharge the more "free bonus minutes" they give you as well! So recharge larger when possible.

If you choose to call the us from your Colombian cell, though it is possible its quite expensive as well.. Like 2mil a minute and you will burn through your recharge cards. Better use a CAVINA "call center" they are located everywhere!

[Kendan]

I'm planning a 4-week trip to Colombia over the holidays that will include Cartagena, Medellin, and Bogota. I'm already pretty certain that my U.S. Verizon phone will be useless there. So, some questions:

1. Can I rent (or buy cheaply) a phone that I can use throughout the trip?

2. Is coverage limited to major/medium cities?

3. How much would I expect to pay to use it to call the US?

4. Would it be cheaper/more convenient to buy a phone in the US that would work in Colombia (if so, which one? which plan?)

Thanks all,

KD

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