Daughter Going to Ecuador for 3 months what type of cards do I need? Please help

[stevenjeff]

My daughter will be going to Ecqador Quito for 3 months and I want to buy an international phone or GMS unlock (ebay). Can anyone please help me on what to buy and type of Sim Card needed.

We live in the US.
I am very worry about her going over there and I have no way to contact, the school states they can call by voip or dial pad. I have a voip line at home, just what her to have a cell phone if possible.

Can I get some feedback please and thank you very much.
You can email me if you like: stevejefferies@adelphia.net
Steve

[snidely]

Looking at the comprehensive chart I created last month:

Cingular charges - 1.99/min.
T-Mobile charges - 4.99!

You would have to make sure intl. roaming is acttivated. A Sprint or Verizon phone won't work. Equador uses the 850 band - same as Cingular here. Most, but not all, Cingular and T-M phones work on 850 as well as 1900. You would need to get the unlock code from your carrier if you are going to use another SIM. That would be the way to go.

Is there cell service where she will be? Go to http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_ec.shtml
and click on coverage map to get a vague idea ov coverage

Neither United Mobile or TravelISM work there. CelTrek does at $1.39 for incoming and $1.49 for calling the U.S. With CelTrek you get a U.S. number.

Since she'll be there a while, it may pay to get an Ecuadorian prepaid SIM to stick in her phone. Don't know cost.


...mike

[GadgetKen]

Actually United Mobile does work there now, but it's US$2.09 outgoing and US$.99 incoming for Ecuador to the US. Mike's suggestion of a local prepaid sim chip is a good idea. Probably best purchased there because major dealer websites I checked don't usually stock this particular country (other than in a multicountry card with high rates in Ecuador, or as a costly SatPhone rental).

GSM World shows 2 carriers serving Ecuador, Movistar and Conecel

http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_ec.shtml

Both would serve a larger city like Quito.

She could buy a prepaid sim card and phone combo there inexpensively for as little as US$39 (in 2000 Ecuador converted from the Sucre to the US dollar). This includes the sim chip and activation. Could be unlocked once she returns to the US, and used with a US or other country sim chip.

Alternative is give her an unlocked phone and she can get a sim chip in Ecuador (offer looks like $5 which gets a sim card, $3 airtime credit, and 10 cents a minute promotional long distance rate to the US, Spain or Columbia; my Spanish isn't really good...).

For the movistar offer, click on this:

http://www.movistar.com.ec/

then 01 Personas, then Prepago Movistar and the submenu you want (service with or without a handset), tarriffs, etc. Rates look very reasonable, and refill cards are for as low as $3.

[stevenjeff]

This is what I was thinking of doing and could you tell me if it will work.

I am going to buy a phone on ebay unlocked gsm 850 to 1900 band and was going to buy a sim from celtrek. Celtrek charge 1.39 per min. not cheap.

I need to know if this setup will work 100% or would it be cheaper to buy a phone while she is in Ecquador.

Thank you

[RTuesday]

A big advantage of a local sim (rather than an international sim) in any country is a local phone number. It would be useful for her to be able to call (and, more importantly, be called by) friends/classmates within the country.

[andy]

I think it has to be a local SIM card, and with the 10c rate to USA that Ken has found, no need to add the complication of using callback

[stevenjeff]

Ok guys. I am totally new to this. Please give me a simple step by step how to do this. This is what I was going to do:

1. Buy a GSM unlocked (850 to 1900freq) phone on ebay. Is this ok?

2. Will the phone work in Ecquador? yes/no

3. If she buys a sim there is it as simple as puting it in the phone and powering it on?

4. Where does the phone number come from?

5. How can I get a local us phone number?

thank you all.

[andy]

1. Or a shop. Some phones, particularly many Nokias, can be unlocked free with online code calculators - see trycktill or nokiafree to find out which. Or let her buy the phone there, and unlock it when she returns.

2. yes - they appear to use the 850 band

3. Usually, though one or two networks need contact to register; if so, the dealer could arrange this

4. It's allocated to the SIM

5. This isn't essential. The reason that people are often saying that on here is for call diversion of their own phone. You have a choice of also your local provider's rates, callthrough arrangements such as calling cards or carrier select prefixes, or VoIP providers that could give you either forwarding of an incoming number or calls from your PC or an ATA with ordinary phone. It will need a bit of searching to find the best tariffs

[DRNewcomb]

Originally Posted by stevenjeff

Ok guys. I am totally new to this. Please give me a simple step by step how to do this. This is what I was going to do:

1. Buy a GSM unlocked (850 to 1900freq) phone on ebay. Is this ok?

Yes. I would recomend a quad-band 850/900/1800/1900 phone for someone traveling S. & Cent. America but for Ecuador 850/1900 is good enough.

2. Will the phone work in Ecquador? yes/no

Yes.

3. If she buys a sim there is it as simple as puting it in the phone and powering it on?

Yes. Just that simple.

4. Where does the phone number come from?

The carrier supplies the phone number. It is usually printed on either the SIM or the pack the SIM came in. In some cases you may have to be told the number after the first time you power up. This is fairly unusual.

5. How can I get a local us phone number?

Without going back and reading the whole thread, I assume you are looking for a virtual number you can forward to Ecuador? Look at www.voicestick.com and sign up for one of their plans. I have the "Almost free" plan.

thank you all.

[snidely]

One more suggestion. If you do buy a phone off Ebay, test it w. both a Cingular and T-Mobile card here (if you can) to make sure it is unlocked and will accept dif. SIMS. I have bought many phones off Ebay w.o. a problem, but it can't hurt to check.
I use Voicestick's "Next2Nothing" plan from time to time. You go online, sign up, pick a local number, put some credit on your acct. w. a cr. card. When she gets a local Ecuador number, go back on line to your acct. and direct all calls to that number. 11.44 cents/min. to call an Ecuador cell!!

...mike