Phones in the Bahamas

[Old PDQ Message Board]

Phones in the Bahamas

Posted by David West on August 31, 2001 at 07:48:00:

I am planning cruising the ICW down to the Bahamas this Fall. I am having
difficulty in finding a cellular phone carrier that would provide me with a
connection from the Bahamas. Does anyone have any experience with this that
might be helpful?
David West

Follow Ups:

Re: Phones in the Bahamas Goodbye Columbus 06:30:31 09/19/01 (0)
Re: Phones in the Bahamas Kevin Smith 08:52:04 09/03/01 (0)
Re: Phones in the Bahamas Kevin Smith 08:50:28 09/03/01 (0)
Re: Phones in the Bahamas Dan Hofmann 04:06:42 09/01/01 (0)
Re: Phones in the Bahamas Dan Hofmann 04:06:31 09/01/01 (0)
Re: Phones in the Bahamas Chet White 15:46:14 08/31/01 (0)

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Re: Phones in the Bahamas

Posted by Goodbye Columbus on September 19, 2001 at 06:30:00:
In Reply to: Phones in the Bahamas posted by David West on August 31, 2001 at
07:48:00:

I've tried about everything. For a time BellSouth worked, but it became
impossible about the first of the year. I finally took a Nokia digital phone to
the Bahamas and had it converted to a Batelco phone. There was a converson chare
(I think $49) and a refundabpe deposit of $500. Now it works fine. The monthly
cost is $19 and the rate per minute is $1.50. I think this is all set forth on a
Batelco web page

I also use an Iridium phone. It's cost is the just a little less. It is cheeper
when receiving calls than sending them

I also signed up for Batelco ISP to get to the Web. It is $10/month and works
fine. Jim Hughes

Follow Ups:

Re: Phones in the Bahamas

Posted by Kevin Smith on September 03, 2001 at 08:52:00:
In Reply to: Phones in the Bahamas posted by David West on August 31, 2001 at
07:48:00:

The last few times I was there, I used the "Blackstone International" card -
28c/min (prepaid $10 increments). It seemed to always work, as the first call is
to the ATT direct 800 number

See link -
http://www.blackstonecallingcard.com/ca ... 0136&sbt=5

00071
- Kevin

http://www.blackstonecallingcard.com/ca ... 0136&sbt=5

00071

Follow Ups:

Re: Phones in the Bahamas

Posted by Dan Hofmann on September 01, 2001 at 04:06:00:
In Reply to: Phones in the Bahamas posted by David West on August 31, 2001 at
07:48:00:

We also used the combination of pocketmail and the Sam's Club. We bought 1000
minutes for $41. It startd out costing 3 minutes per 1 minute for calls back to
the states. By the time we left it was costing us 6 minutes per minute used or
$.24. Still the cheapest way to go

When we left, were told that Babalco was sold and becoming private, we heard ATT
bought them. If that happened, things may be changed by this year. See you at
the Party, good luck figuring this out.

Follow Ups:

Re: Phones in the Bahamas

Posted by Chet White on August 31, 2001 at 15:46:00:
In Reply to: Phones in the Bahamas posted by David West on August 31, 2001 at
07:48:00:

Hi David,
As of last year no cell phone I'm aware of would work in the Bahamas unless you
took it to BATELCO (Bahama Telephone Co) for activation. This required a deposit
of $500. which you may or may not get back and a very expensive per minute
charge. I only ran into one doctor that took advantage of this generous offer!
A few cruisers had satellite phones but most of us use the phones on the islands
which work very well when they work. This requires a card of some sort to slide
in the phone or an ATT or Sprint 8oo link. Batelco cards in denom of 5,10,20
work at $1/min to anywhere in the US. There are other cheaper cards (Sams?)that
work but cruisers seem to have trouble using them sometimes. Be very skeptical
what anyone tells you will work in the Bahamas because it usually doesn't

You can dial ATT USA DIRECT @ 800-872-2881, then put in the number and your ATT
calling card number. This works very well but is very expensive unless you have
an ATT Intnl calling card ($4.95/mo). I think the rate is then .85 for the call
hookup and .37/min. This may all change by this Winter like everything else in
the Bahamas

Many cruisers, myself included, use pocketmail E-mail to keep in touch with
home. The units (Sharp TM 20) run about $150 new (Best Buy?) or refurbised (by
Sharp) about $50 on E-Bay. The activation runs about $120 a year and includes
800 numbers to call stateside from any phone to receive/send E-mail (text only)

In the Bahamas you must dial a regular number long distance for the linkup but
it usually only takes about 3min to send/receive. The unit uses a built-in
acoustic coupler to work on any phone and works very well

Hope this helps and look forward to meeting you at the Annapolis POA
get-together or in the Bahamas. We usually try to get down to Georgetown for the
Regatta in March

Chet White
Allezcat - Hull 10 PDQ36