Cell Phones...

kronos · Nov 6, 2003

Greetings DR1ers,

I'm new to the forums here and seeking your advice. I'll soon be making a trip to DR and would like to purchase a cell phone that I only intend for use there. I've read back in the archives that the best choices for Digital are Codetel and Orange.

However - I'm not familiar with the programming/replenishment methods of the cell phones in DR (or anywhere for that matter). Therefore I'm requesting someone please post the step by step methods of replenishing via Phone Cards for each of these services. Seeing the results posted will help me decide which method I'm less likely to screw up.

Also, I spend most of my time in the Santiago area with occasional trips to Sosua. Anyone who has experience in this area have recommendations for one service over another?

Thanks,
K

XanaduRanch · Nov 6, 2003

Easy!

It's just my personal preference because we've had good reliable service from them, but I like Orange. All cell phone companies market phones that recharge via prepaid phone cards. In Santiago now you can buy them from street vendors waiting at traffic lights even. Orange sells them for $100-$200-$275 pesos. The $275 card gives you a bonus of $25 pesod more free.

To recharge an orange phone:

Buy a card
Scrape the covering off the access code number on the back
With the card in front of you dial *222 from your Orange phone
Ignore the ad in Spanish and at the tone enter the 14-digit number from the card
The voice will tell you (in Spanish) how many pesos you have available both before and after taxes
Check your balance anytime by dialing *223. The call will disconnect, but Orange will send you a text message a few seconds later with the balance.
You can also go to most ATM's and get more time if you can't find someone selling the cards. The code number prints right on your receipt!

Tom (aka XR)

kronos · Nov 6, 2003

Thanks!

EXACTLY what I was looking for XR. Thanks for breaking down the steps. For someone used to dealing with cell phones in DR it?s probably old hat, but today I learned something new!

I've seen the people you mentioned in intersections by the monument selling phone cards. But could you please describe a little more about using ATM's for adding minutes? Is there a surcharge for that method?

(I'm guessing what you meant is there is an option to purchase Orange minutes on certain ATMs that will then print a valid number you can use to add the correct credit to your cellular).

Thanks again,

K

Escott · Nov 7, 2003

T-mobile phones from the States can work on Orange with a change of chips.

Sprint phones from the states can work on Codetel with a programming change you get locally for 3 bux.

hope this helps. Both are good decent providers of service and work the same.

Scott

NV_ · Nov 7, 2003

Personally I would recommend Codetel over Orange... I have both services and IMHO (in my honest opinion), Codetel is MUCH better than Orange...

Only redeeming factor of the Orange phone IMHO is the cheaper rates to call the U.S. and Europe.

Since I rarely call long distance on my cell, I prefer the much more stable service of Codetel.

One thing that really bugs me about Orange is when you call an Orange phone and the person doesnt pick up or the signal never gets to the phone and the call goes straight to the voice mail, you get charged with the phone call even if you hang up immediately and dont leave a message.

Codetel phones give you a warning saying something along the lines of "hang up now and you wont be charged for this phone call", if the person never picks up.

Plus coverage is much better with Codetel IMHO.

Just my 2 cents USD...

Moniki · Nov 7, 2003

We connected AT&T phones from the Codetel calling place right in the airport of Santo Domingo. They didn't need to change the chip or anything and within 15 minutes we had service.
They just assign a # and you have to buy a minimum of RD$100.00 card to activate the phone.
They charged us a services fee I guess for assignng a # of RD$100.00 per phones and the $$ for the cards.
I got service everywhere except for when we were in the Maimon area.

Once they assign a #
Buy the card
Call the # on the card
When it prompts you input the code on the back of the card
At the end of the process it'll tell you the balance on the phone
You can input as many cards as you want at one time

Also - I made various calls to the US from the cell phone and the rates were really cheap - I mean after 15 or 20 calls of about 30 min. ea. I had only used about RD$115.00.

The only thing is that the $ does expire. They give you like 70 days or something like that.

kronos · Nov 7, 2003

Good Information!

Its great to hear about everyone's experience and the different options available. In the U.S. I have Sprint PCS service, but I am not looking to program my current phone - so I think that purchasing a new phone would be my best option.

As far as the different services, I thought I had read back in the archives somewhere that if you call an Orange phone from Codetel phone (or vice versa) that you were charged different pesos per minute than if you were both using the same service. Can anyone confirm this?

XanaduRanch · Nov 7, 2003

Kronos,

I think NV_ buys his orange phones from the toy department at La Sirena. :: smile :: Here I have big problems with poor Codetel service, I also happen to despise the company and never want to see them have another centavo of my money. But to each his own. I keep a house in Santiago and am there frequently, and Xanadu is here on the North Coast. I have great coverage and clear calls between the two without problem. Friends who are here have problems with Codetel cell service. Go figure. I can only report my experiences, as NV_ is, but I think NV_ you need a better phone or hangout in those bad barrios with AZB where they don't have Orange service too much.

Orange is for the snooty folks like me you know. LOL.

As to the rates, on Orange it is 3 pesos per minute between Orange phones, and 5 pesos per minute everywhere else in the DR, and to the US and Canada. Europe, too, I think? Anyway, Codetel I believe does it in reverse and adds a surcharge to competitors phones somehow. But yes the rates are different.

As to the ATM codigo, I have never tried that. Maybe someone else here with an Orange phone who has bought time at an ATM will chime in. Alba has, but she just left for the house in Santiago so I can't ask her how that works right now.

Tom (aka XR)

NV_ · Nov 7, 2003

LOL I guess they're (Orange) just better in some areas of the country than others.

No barrios or political get togethers for me though

.... just regular usage in the city (S.D.).

One other thing that bugs me about Orange is the fact that they dont give you a normal ring tone when you call their phones... that just bothers me for some reason... How hard is it to replace that lame BEEEEP BEEEP with a RIIINNNGG RINNNG???

Since cell service is directly related to where you use your phone, everyones opinions will be different on whats best.

Your best bet is to just go with a phone you like (here in the D.R.) from Codetel or Orange with the best price and try it out... You can find a quality cell phone for under 100USD bucks...

I dont particularly like Codetels monopolization tactics but Orange has always offered sub-par service for me...Plus sim cards are a PITA!

ricktoronto · Nov 7, 2003

Yes, It Is True

kronos said:
As far as the different services, I thought I had read back in the archives somewhere that if you call an Orange phone from Codetel phone (or vice versa) that you were charged different pesos per minute than if you were both using the same service. Can anyone confirm this?

Yes, the rates differ between carriers. Amazingly enough they do too, here in Canada to on a lot of plans, since carriers want to promote their own brand they frequently offer cheaper family and so forth plans to encourage everyone to buy their brand phone service.

Of course we fail to recognize in this discussion here that 3 pesos a minute is less than a US dime per minute and that is a pretty fair price, and so is 5 pesos, frankly. This is especially true for card phone accounts where the norm in Canada is as much as 33 cents a minute since they have no captive user with a monthly rate plan.

bobbytbird · Nov 10, 2003

International Cell Phones

I have a cell phone that operates on the major systems in Europe and North America. When I travel it just roams and picks up the local carrier and I'm charged by my supplier back in Canada. Can this sort of phone be used in the DR or do I need to set things up with a local carrier?

Peter & Alex · Nov 10, 2003

Can you hear me now?????????

Isn't Codetel a Verizon Company? "Can you hear me now"? "No"? Then you must be in the DR!! But honestly, I don't have a problem with my landline or my dial up internet connections.
Orange is relatively good but the transmitter/relay in Cabarete does go down quite often!! Just drive to Sosua and it works fine!!
I call worldwide from my Orange pre pay card Sony Ericsson cell and no problems - of course the rates change depending on where you call to.
Texting is a different story!! We text out, no problem. Text in? Forget it!! Something to do with other UK/European/Middle East networks not having texting agreements with Orange here in the DR? Not understanding a lot of it but still cannot receive texts from another Orange system in UK or europe? Ask Orange here - not knowing!! Ask Orange in UK - "Ask Orange in the DR"!!!!!!!! Hey Ho, does anybody know??
Can you hear me now?

UP_time · Nov 11, 2003

Dominican Republic Cell Phone Service.

You can ONLY use a CDMA or GSM type phone.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CDMA PHONES--- Codetel, Tricom, Centennal.
GSM PHONES---- Orange
----------------------------------------------------------------------
TDMA and ALL Nextel phones (even the ones with GSM), wont work.

If your phone is under contract in the U.S or Canada, then there may be a "Lock Code" programmed in.
You can find cell shops which will reset this code and allow the phone to be activated on either Codetel, Tricom, or Centennal.
Cost to unlock = 100-200 pesos.

If your phone is of the GSM type, ensure that before you leave the U.S or Canada, that your phone is not "SIM Locked."

T-Mobile will provide you with the SIM unlock code for free if you let them know of your travel plans (not sure if the other U.S GSM carriers will also do this.)

Specify that the phone you buy and bring here should be "unlocked" as this eliminates another step and additional $$.

John

Adrian Bye · Nov 11, 2003

If I have an unlocked phone, can I activate it both in the US and the DR without making any changes to the phone?

Do I just need to give each carrier the ESN for my phone? Thus I can just turn it off when I get on the plane here in the DR, and turn it on when I get to the US, and it'll be working with US service?

I have a smart phone with all my calendar/personal data in it, so I've found that while I'm in the US I end up carrying around 2 phones. If I can activate my smart phone for both services that would be ideal.

If anyone knows how this is done, please share!

(My smart phone is unlocked, activated on Codetel in the DR, and I have Virgin mobile in the US, which is sprint. Both are CDMA.)

La Profe_1 · Nov 11, 2003

If your phone has two or more nams, you should be able to have both numbers on the same phone. I have an Audiovox 9500 which is activated with Codetel here and Verizon Wireless in the US. I just switch between nams as needed.

IF you are planning to use Codetel prepaid, you need to allow for how to recharge the phone - unless you travel here regularly and that would not be an issue.

LP

Adrian Bye · Nov 11, 2003

And the NAM is something inside the phone, right? I have to change that code internally?

Any comments on how to get the information on how to do that for the Kyocera QCP 6035. I have played around with this stuff before, but remember that it was password protected. Is there a website which has all the codes to get into the phones?

GringoDiablo · Nov 11, 2003

Verizon/Codotel

Has anyone been able to program a verizon phone with codotel. I was told it could be done but basically got blank stares last time I was there.

La Profe_1 · Nov 12, 2003

NAMS on Kyocera Smart Phone

Adrian, I went to the Kyocera website and checked the reference guide for the Kyocera QCP 6035. According to the manufacturer, your Smart Phone can be set up with only one NAM. Having it activated in the US and the DR at the same time looks to be impossible unless you have it reprogrammed each time you go from one place to the other.

Ant · Nov 12, 2003

Verizon/Codetel

My cell phone service is with Verizon, and when I go to the DR I just go to a Codetel office and they program the phone for use there. Simple, cheap and easy. When I get back home I take it to Verizon and they switch it back over. Of course if you have technical skills you can do the switching yourself.

Also, if you are in the DR and use the your number at least every 90 days, the number remains valid. Hope this helps.

GringoDiablo · Nov 12, 2003

Ant

Did you need any kind of code to unlock the phone? Last time I tried codotel told me it had to be set up here first or they need a code to unlock it.

Cell Phones...

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