Coverage For Ecuador, Costa Rica?

DLCPhoto · 11-08-2006, 15:13

I will be traveling to Galapagos (part of Ecuador) and Costa Rica later this year, and am researching phone options to keep in touch with family in the U.S. Looks like I can get a quad-band unlocked GSM phone on Ebay for between $50 and $125 on ebay, depending on phone, which is reasonable, and would cover both the 850 in Ecuador and 1800 in Costa Rica.

The more challenging part is finding a single SIM provider to cover both. I went to the sites of all those listed by PrePaidGSM and the only one that includes both Ecuador and Costa Rica is Yackie Mobile. I have been reading threads on this relatively new provider, and clearly they seem to be having their share of start-up pains. My first trip isn't until mid-September, so I can watch and wait a little, but so far I'm not encouraged. I tried to call them yesterday, got their voice-mail, and left a message for them to call back, but nothing so far. I figure if a potential sale doesn't get their attention, support to their actual customers would likely be worse.

So - is anybody aware of another SIM that will cover both of these countries? I do not do a lot of international traveling - my needs are sporadic and localized, so I don't want to spend a fortune for these occasional needs.

My other option is renting a Sat Phone, but I'd end up paying more for the rentals than I would to just buy a GSM phone, and would have nothing to show for it after the trips. Also the per minute charges are significantly higher.

Any advice/leads appreciated.

Don
DLC Photography

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DLCPhoto (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 9 Join Date: 11 Aug 2006 Country:	11-08-2006, 15:13 I will be traveling to Galapagos (part of Ecuador) and Costa Rica later this year, and am researching phone options to keep in touch with family in the U.S. Looks like I can get a quad-band unlocked GSM phone on Ebay for between $50 and $125 on ebay, depending on phone, which is reasonable, and would cover both the 850 in Ecuador and 1800 in Costa Rica. The more challenging part is finding a single SIM provider to cover both. I went to the sites of all those listed by PrePaidGSM and the only one that includes both Ecuador and Costa Rica is Yackie Mobile. I have been reading threads on this relatively new provider, and clearly they seem to be having their share of start-up pains. My first trip isn't until mid-September, so I can watch and wait a little, but so far I'm not encouraged. I tried to call them yesterday, got their voice-mail, and left a message for them to call back, but nothing so far. I figure if a potential sale doesn't get their attention, support to their actual customers would likely be worse. So - is anybody aware of another SIM that will cover both of these countries? I do not do a lot of international traveling - my needs are sporadic and localized, so I don't want to spend a fortune for these occasional needs. My other option is renting a Sat Phone, but I'd end up paying more for the rentals than I would to just buy a GSM phone, and would have nothing to show for it after the trips. Also the per minute charges are significantly higher. Any advice/leads appreciated. Don DLC Photography