mike_s
Contributor
how is Verizon Cell phone coverage in Bahamas?
Like in Nassau and the Berry Islands?
Like in Nassau and the Berry Islands?
How is Verizon Cell phone coverage in Bahamas?
- Thread starter mike_s
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ronbeau
Contributor
Part of the answer would probably depend on the modes your phone supports.
Most of Europe uses GSM standard while Verizon uses the CDMA standard.
I believe Verizon has a few phones that support GSM in addition to CDMA.
I don't know if the Bahamas went with GSM for their cell phone system like Britain or if they have both GSM and CDMA.
These are the key things you need to find out.
OceanObsessed
Guest
Mike,
I use Verizon (no GSM). Last time I tried it in the Berry Islands (Great Harbor actually) it did not work at all. This was about 3 years ago. I was in Nassau 2 years ago and it did not work there either. I just returned from Nassau about 2 months ago but unfortunately I never even tried it. My friend that I fly to the Bahamas with uses Cingular (don't know if it is GSM or not) and it works fantastic on both islands. He is on the phone all the time over there filing flight plans, etc.
-Chris
I use Verizon (no GSM). Last time I tried it in the Berry Islands (Great Harbor actually) it did not work at all. This was about 3 years ago. I was in Nassau 2 years ago and it did not work there either. I just returned from Nassau about 2 months ago but unfortunately I never even tried it. My friend that I fly to the Bahamas with uses Cingular (don't know if it is GSM or not) and it works fantastic on both islands. He is on the phone all the time over there filing flight plans, etc.
-Chris
OP
mike_s
Contributor
2-3 years ago Verizon didn't have roaming agreements with the Bahamas.... so Verizon wasn't supoorted there. my verizon phone didn't work there either at that time.
sometime in the last year or so, Verizon has added the Bahamas to their list of international roaming countries. according to their website CDMA is supported. Just don't know how well it works.
I was in the Berries about 2 years ago and someone with a Cingular phone worked fine also... so I know what you mean. Not sure how they are since AT&T bought them, but I'm sure they still work.
My wife and I both use Verizon. Up until last year there was no service on Grand Bahama Island. Last year her phone worked there and mine didn't.
OP
mike_s
Contributor
I'm betting her roaming "programming" was more up to date than yours was.
anytime they make a big change you have to update your roaming.
on Verizon, dial *228, then press option 2. takes about 2-3 minutes. not a bad thing to do every few months.
Your phone program/plan also has to be set to allow international dialing and international roaming. you have to call *611 to enable this. (then do the above roaming update afterwards ).
Friends of mine went to Cay Sal Bank a month ago and Sprint-Nextel/Verizon nada...the GSM phones in the group did work.
Cheers.
-J.-
Cheers.
-J.-
OP
mike_s
Contributor
wow... that suprises me that any phone worked in Cay Sal bank. that area is unihabitied and prob closer to cuba than it is the rest of the bahamas.
Jupiter31
Contributor
Agreed - the service and reception are excellent w/ Cingular but the per min charge was something like $3 in the Bahamas- you may be able to upgrade to a different plan - I just watched the min. used.
Better reception in Freeport vs S FL!
OceanObsessed
Guest
Yes, the Cay Sal Bank is much closer to Cuba than almost all of the other Bahama islands. Its nice to hear that there is some cell phone coverage there. We were off the island of Cay Sal on a private boat doing some freediving and it was one of the rare times that we really needed to use the VHF and we could not contact the CG with a 20 watt radio.
It is not all that far from the Keys but it still remains a very remote area. Of course the fact that you need to go to Bimini first to clear customs and then head way S (against the stream) to the Cay Sal Bank keeps the place pretty remote.
It is not all that far from the Keys but it still remains a very remote area. Of course the fact that you need to go to Bimini first to clear customs and then head way S (against the stream) to the Cay Sal Bank keeps the place pretty remote.
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