British Virgin Islands (BVI) prepaid

[WENewcomb]

Seek prepaid service in BVI. Understand there is a "CCT Global Communications" provider. Has anyone use them? If so, what was your experience?

Their prepaid rates for vistors seem extortionate: http://www.cctwireless.com/v2/person...page=ldistance

Which (if any) of the International prepaid cards will function? I can't find any that appear to do so.

[RTuesday]

Originally Posted by WENewcomb

Seek prepaid service in BVI.

GT-Sim claims to cover BVI, at their basic rate. Since most of their other destinations in the Caribbean have surcharges, I would double-check this with them first! I haven't used it there.

Other Callkey "Manx" sims like 0044 claim to cover BVI also.

[GadgetKen]

You could sign up temporarily for CCT Flexphone prepaid service, but the sim card wouldn't likely be good outside the BVI (maybe you could resell it on ebay for someone else visiting there). Use a local prepaid long distance card or callback service if their international rates are too pricey for your budget.

Another solution might be VOIP like Skype or Vonage if the BVI property you're staying at has complimentary wi-fi. Experimented with Skype from Nevis earlier this month; worked but person I called in the USA said voice quality was somewhat tinny and had some echoes. Might have been just the wi-fi connection I was using or my wi-fi device. Used a United Mobile GSM sim card in preference to Skype because voice quality was better(but United Mobile obviously won't work in the BVI).

Have visited the USVI several times and have heard that BVI signals can sometimes be picked up and vice versa due to the proximity of Tortola(stories of people getting sticker shock at unintentional postpaid roaming). While legally not supposed to happen you might be able to take advantage of this quirk to pick up a US carrier with your domestic USA prepaid sim card in either a high location and/or shoreline location(a prepaid USA sim would either work on the USVI system or not all).

[VladS]

PR and USVI seem to be part of the Cingular GoPhone national coverage...

https://www.cingular.com/support/ima...payasyougo.gif

[GadgetKen]

Originally Posted by VladS

PR and USVI seem to be part of the Cingular GoPhone national coverage...

https://www.cingular.com/support/ima...payasyougo.gif

Correct. I used Beyond GSM (a Cingular prepaid reseller) in both St. Croix, USVI and Puerto Rico within the past year. All US calls were at the standard domestic rate with no other charges. BVI sometimes will pick up USVI Cingular signals from St. Thomas or St. John and vice-versa (signals don't always respect international borders).

Also used to have Virgin Mobile prepaid (a Sprint CDMA reseller) that I used both in the USVI and Puerto Rico in past years. Probably some other prepaid providers that will also work in the US Caribbean at reasonable rates.