mobile SIM card with data for Samana/Las Galeras area

I'm pretty sure that's a pre-paid banda ancha card for your laptop, not your phone.

I know Orange doesn't have one for a phone and I looked into it at their main office in Santiago.

I may be wrong but you need a contract to get data on your cell phone.

Neither Orange nor Claro will sell you prepaid mobile broadband plan WITHOUT purchasing a USB card/modem to go with it. In Claro it costs 2990 pesos with taxes. Plans start at 128 pesos per day,3-day, 7-day, 14-day and 30-day plans are available at more affordable rates. You will be issued a DATA-only SIM card with its own number.

Internet M?vil – Escoge la Red, Escoge Claro 3G!

Orange is practically the same, I don't know the modem cost but it's the same modem brand (Huawei) so it should cost about the same. Daily plan is the same, 128 pesos with taxes.

Orange Dominicana ? - Orange net

You can use your 3G/HSDPA phone only with postpaid data plans, on pepaid you have to buy a wireless data modem apart.

1. Claro and Orange work the same, some are better in certain areas than the other and vice versa.
2. Plan has to be make for 18 months for both SIM cards and/or USB modem for computers for internet connection/data access. Prepaid only for voice calls SIM card.
3. yes, and rates depends on plans.
4. There is a new Orange Centro de Atenci?n a Clientes Caribetours and Banco Popular where you can get the Sim card. you need to bring your passport.
I am not sure if the Claro Centro de Atenci?n a Clientes near Supermarket Mimasa give out the card. I had to go to Santo Domingo for it because it wasn't even available in Nagua.

In Las Galeras you only get GSM no Banda ancha if you are not having a fix line. (but of course have to pay the price for Banda ancha at Claro)

Berliner said:

2. Plan has to be make for 18 months for both SIM cards and/or USB modem for computers for internet connection/data access. Prepaid only for voice calls SIM card.

Click to expand...

Berliner, please do not give misleading information to the OP.

Bot Orange and Claro have prepaid data plans, which can be purchased on daily/weekly/monthly basis, provided that you buy broadband USB modem. Prepaid data will not work with your 3G pone (they will not activate it without your buying the modem).

Whether broadband data (3G speeds) will be available depends on the coverage. You will have better luck with Claro as their 3G net has more coverage, Orange has started just recently. Where there is no 3G coverage, on either network, you will be able to get GPRS/EDGE speeds with your USB modem and prepaid data plan.

Sorry for the misleading information about the plans!!

In Las Galeras neither Orange or Claro have broadband coverage unless you have a fix line. USB-Broadband modem seems not to be an option for the OPs cellphone.

Hi,

I'm visiting Puerto Plata for 2 weeks vacation. This is how I arranged internet.

1. I Went to "main" Claro store in Puerto Plata. (Smaller stores said I had to go to the main store...)
2. To get prepaid mobile internet SIM card (both Claro and Orange) you need to purchase a USB dongle. I got ZTE MF110 including SIM card for 995pesos. Remember to bring your passport!
3. To add 15 days data access (1,5GBytes) I payed 1376 pesos. (total cost including the dongle: 2371 pesos)

I brought my laptop to the store, and I the internet was up and running when I left the store.

thomppa;

The USB dongle + data SIM for 995 pesos (taxes included) is a good deal, some posts mention ~2500 pesos... !

How is the connection speed around POP/Sosua/Cabarete ....!?

Uzin:

Yes, I agree. The price was much better than I was expected. Actually I got another price that was 1995pesos for the dongle + SIM when I was to another Claro store. I couldn't buy it then because I didn't have my passport with me at that time. Don't know if the 995 pesos for the dongle was some kind of promotion deal that I got =). (Totally I payed 2371 pesos including the 15 days/Maximum 1,5GB data access) I have a LG X120 with embedded 3G mobile broadband module in my laptop, so actually would not have needed a dongle, so I'm happy that the dongle was not too expensive. (But to get a prepaid data SIM card from Claro, the purchase of the dongle is necessary. I think it is stupid, but that's the way it is)

I'm on the beach outside Puerto Plata now, and the connection speed on speedtest.net I get is:
Downlink: 2,38MBit/s
Uplink: 1,20MBit/s

If you are outside of 3G coverage area you should expect much lower speeds. However, it seems that the coverage is good on the places I have been to. (but that is limited to the Puerto Plata area)
My smartphone does not support Claro 3G band (WCDMA 850MHz), so the speeds I get on the smart phone when connected to Claro GSM is typically only 30-40kbit/s.

Been following this thread for a while. I'd like to sum up what I believe to be true and hope that those in the know can confirm my understanding.

We seem to be talking about 2 different things here... all related to 3G data transmission.

1. via a USB dongle connected to a computer (the dongle contains a SIM card).

2. via a SIM card in a mobile phone

Here's what I think is true:

• You can get a USB dongle on a prepaid plan (without a contract).
• You can remove the SIM card from the USB dongle and put it in a compatible phone and will be able to access the internet via your phone. You will NOT be able to use the phone to make calls.
• You can get a SIM card on post-paid contract for your phone that will give you voice calls AND data (internet access).
• You CANNOT get a SIM card with voice and data on a pre-paid (no contract) plan.

The reason I ask is that I've got an iPhone 4 and am trying to get a cheap pre-paid data plan. If anyone can point me in the right direction that would be great. I went to Claro in Veron and they said I could get a data plan but it would be on contract and cost around 3000 pesos a month. Vivo said they only offer data plans on a contract... and I think they are EDGE/GPRS not 3G. Not sure about Orange. I'm not interested in getting a dongle. I want a SIM card that I can put in my iPhone and have voice AND data.

InsanelyOne:

I share your view. For me the main intention was to get a pre-paid data plan for my smart phone as well. But the problem is that none of the operators market a pre-paid data plan for your smart phone. However the "work around" to get cheap internet access to your smart phone is to buy a dongle, remove the SIM card and start to use it in your smart phone. And you should be able to reach better speeds in your Iphone4 in Claro network compared to me since Iphone4 seems to support WCDMA 850MHz that I think the Claro 3G network is build on.

Some remarks:

1. I had to change the APN setting in the phone manually before I was able to connect.
APN (Pre-paid data SIM): ba.amx

2. I bought a prepaid "voice" SIM from Claro first and hoped to be able to buy data to this SIM. It is possible use this SIM for data also, but the price is per KByte and VERY high, so it was not even an option for me. (but I have tried it and it works! However I had to select the APN manually, which differs from the pre-paid data SIM APN)

For me it is strange that the operators in DR does not provide pre-paid SIM:s only with data plans for the customers. I guess they have not understood the business opportunity yet. My hotel charges 60USD per week for very limited WLAN coverage. I'm just happy that I was able to found the work around to be able to get mobile broadband for my vacation! =) Thanks to help from this forum!

I think I have your answer!!!!!!! its a company called VIVA they have data unlimited plans for 700 pesos a month for ur unlocked phones.....thats about 15 per month...no contracts