PrePaidGSM > Operators > Brazil
BRAZIL
| Useful things to know: | ||
| Prefix: | +55 |  |
| Money: | 1 Brazilian Real = 0.34676 Euro | |
| Electricity: | 110/220V - 60Hz | |
| Time Zone: | GMT-3.00 | |
Nationwide GSM and 3G Operators
| TIM Cellular S.A. (TIM BRASIL) | ||
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Prepaid Card Name: | Meu Jeito |
| Activation Fee/Credit included: | R$ 25.00/R$ 10.00 - € 8.67/€ 3.47 | |
| Card Validity after activation: | 150 days | |
| Net Frequency: | GSM 1800 | |
| Logo, Net Code: | TIM BRASIL, 724 02, 03, 04 | |
| Coverage Map: | GSM-World | |
| States covered by GSM network: | all Brazilian states | |
| Prepaid offer: | click here | |
| Last update: | 11/04/07 | |
| TNL PCS S.A. (Oi) | ||
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Prepaid Card Name: | Oi Cartão |
| Activation Fee/Credit included: | R$ 31/R$ 10 - € 10.75/3.47 | |
| Card Validity after activation: | 180 days | |
| Net Frequency: | GSM 1800 | |
| Logo, Net Code: | Oi, 724 31 | |
| Coverage Map: | GSM-World | |
| States covered by GSM network: | Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão, Pará, Amazonas, Amapá, Roraima | |
| Prepaid offer: | click here | |
| Last update: | 11/04/07 | |
| Claro | ||
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Prepaid Card Name: | Claro Cartão |
| Activation Fee/Credit included: | R$ 25.00/R$ 10.00 - € 8.67/€ 3.47 | |
| Card Validity after activation: | 150 days | |
| Net Frequency: | GSM 1800 | |
| Logo, Net Code: | Claro, 724 05 | |
| Coverage Map: | GSM-World | |
| States covered by GSM network: | nationwide, except Minas Gerais and the Amazon basin States | |
| Prepaid offer: | click here | |
| Last update: | 11/04/07 | |
| 14 Brasil Telecom Celular S.A | ||
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Prepaid Card Name: | Brasil Cartão |
| Activation Fee/Credit included: | R$ 19.00/ ??? - € 6.59/??? | |
| Card Validity after activation: | 90 days from activation | |
| Net Frequency: | GSM 1800 | |
| Logo, Net Code: | BrTCel, 724 16 | |
| Coverage Map: | GSM-World | |
| States covered by GSM network: | Brasília (Distrito Federal), Acre, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Santa Catarina and Tocantins States. | |
| Prepaid offer: | click here | |
| Last update: | 11/04/07 | |
PLEASE READ BELOW!
There are different prices depending on the Brazilian region where you register your prepaid card. Here we put the prices for the Rio de Janeiro region only (except for Brasil Telecom, which has no coverage in Rio, so we chose Distrito Federal, Brasilia), for different regions the prices should be similar, but please see the official sites of the four carriers to have complete information.
Regional GSM Operators
| Telemig Celular S/A | ||
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Prepaid Card Name: | Celular de Cartão |
| Activation Fee/Credit included: | ??? | |
| Card Validity after activation: | 180 days from activation | |
| Net Frequency: | GSM 900/1800 | |
| Logo, Net Code: | ??? | |
| Coverage Map: | official site (list, no map) | |
| States covered by GSM network: | Minas Gerais | |
| Prepaid offer: | click here | |
| Last update: | 11/04/07 | |
| Amazonia Celular S/A | ||
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Prepaid Card Name: | Celular de Cartão |
| Activation Fee/Credit included: | ??? | |
| Card Validity after activation: | 180 days from activation | |
| Net Frequency: | GSM 900/1800 | |
| Logo, Net Code: | ??? | |
| Coverage Map: | official site (list, no map) | |
| States covered by GSM network: | Amazonas, Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Roraima | |
| Prepaid offer: | click here | |
| Last update: | 11/04/07 | |
| Sercomtel Celular S/A | ||
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Prepaid Card Name: | OK |
| Activation Fee/Credit included: | ??? | |
| Card Validity after activation: | ??? | |
| Net Frequency: | GSM 900/1800 | |
| Logo, Net Code: | SCTL, 724 15 | |
| Coverage Map: | GSM-World | |
| States covered by GSM network: | Londrina | |
| Prepaid offer: | click here (official site) | |
| Last update: | 11/04/07 | |
Buying a Brazilian prepaid card, by Livino
First things first. When you arrive in Brazil you must remember that you're entering Bureaucratic Park. So, If you're bringing your own phone please take some time to register it with Brazilian customs. They'll give you a blue paper slip that proves this is your phone and you that brought it from abroad and intend to leave the country with it.
When you go buy your pre-paid service and they ask for proof of purchase for the phone, just present the blue slip.
DO NOT FORGET THIS STEP, because it'll be even harder to activate a phone without a proof of purchase or this little customs slip. Now read on.
When buying and/or activating a pre-paid phone or SIM card in Brazil one must be ID verified and is also expected to present a valid address. This usually poses a problem to temporary visitors even if the Telecoms authority has stated that a valid passport is enough ID for phone activation purposes. Why the fuss, then? Because vendors' systems usually ask for a CPF number (tax number) in order to register the card/phone. Obviously, foreigners do not have CPF cards, and shop attendants are usually too obtuse to accept a passport number and will keep asking for CPF (going as far as asking tourists to come back with a Brazilian friend with a valid CPF). DO NOT buy that argument and insist your passport is a valid ID for registering a pre-paid phone. If you insist long enough they usually yield. Not that they understand a single word of what you just said anyway. As for the address, just use your hotel address and you should be fine.
Personally, I recommend you stay away from operators' own shops or kiosks, where sales personnel are "trained" like robots and will enter an endless loop ("please provide a CPF number") if met with the slightest difficulty or variation of routine. If it becomes too difficult, ask for the manager ("gerente"). If he/she is young, give up (training's the same, they'll just enter the lame loop) but if they're older you stand a chance.
Look for smaller phone shops and small authorized dealers which are usually keen to meet operator quotas and will sell a phone or SIM card to your dog if it's got a pedigree or some other suitable form of identification.
If you're bringing your own phone, make sure it's unlocked and make that clear to the salesperson. In Oi own-branded shops it's almost impossible to activate a phone that hasn't been bought from them, as they'll insist the IMEI won't register with Oi's system. That's a lie, I've been using personally-imported phones ever since I switched to Oi two years ago without any problems. Again, smaller shops are usually more helpful and by choosing them you stand a better chance of finding a salesperson that actually has a brain.
One you get through all these obstacles, you'll find out that your new Oi Chip (Oi SIM card's commercial name) comes with R$10 in credits, which is good for a few minutes' conversation (actual talk times will depend on the region you're in, Oi has different prices for each State covered).
