Will my Verizon cell phone work in Turks & Caicos?

Question

Will my Verizon cell phone work in Turks & Caicos?

Answer 1

To answer your question briefly - I have Verizon & was in Turks & Caicos a month ago - I did not get any service.  

I would be careful before going to buy a phone card.  We bought one here before we left but even with a phone card the hotel charged 4.95 a minute to call the US.  So I wouldn't rush out and buy a calling card until you know if the hotel will charge you still.  

Enjoy Turks and Caicos - It's a wonderful place to visit!!

Answer 2

Cell Phones

A lot people ask if their cell phone will work in T&C.  The answer is, it depends. 

If your cell phone:

is a GSM phone (in the U.S. your service provider would either be Cingular, AT&T Mobile, or T-Mobile)

and is unlocked

and has the capability for 850 MHz (used by Cable & Wireless) or 900 MHz (used by Digicel) 

(C&W is the main telecom provider for both landline & mobile service on the island.)

Then your best bet if you make a bunch of cell phone calls is to buy a SIM card and prepaid minutes from C&W or Digicel once you get to T&C. 

You can buy the SIM card for around $20 which includes $10 worth of prepaid minutes from either the C&W office (located on Leeward Hwy), the C&W office on Queen Street Grand Turk, or their outlet at the IGA Supermarket.  You can also purchase a SIM card from Digicel.

This will give you a local T&C phone number and any calls you make on island will be billed at a local rate. 

Calling international is rather reasonable.