Verizon cell coverage

[wdavis1]

Can anyone comment on Verizon cell phone signal strength in the offshore cays at Placencia? We are chartering a boat for a week and have elderly parents at home, so we would like to stay in contact. Should we procure a sat phone?

[SkiprJohn]

Sorry I can't help but welcome aboard anyway.

[Sailmonkey]

Buy a local no contract phone, there is relatively good service out there, and the phone w prepaid service is inexpensive on the grand scheme.

[AnchorageGuy]

The two major providers in Belize is Belize Telemedia and Smart Telecom. Using a U.S. providers may work but will cost a fortune. It's best to get an unlocked phone and buy a sim card when you arrive. You can add minutes online as you need it. You can sign up for Verizon's International Plan, very expensive, and they can tell you if the service will work in Belize. Most cell phones have reportedly not worked in the outer atolls. Other outer cays are covered but it will depend on how far away you might be to the closest tower. Kinda like in the Bahamas. Chuck

[wdavis1]

Thank you everyone.
Do they sell the phones anywhere besides the airport?

[AnchorageGuy]

You can buy the phone before you go to Belize. It needs to be an unlocked GSM/CDMA phone and you can buy them on Amazon or Ebay. Buy the sim card when you get there. Lots of places sell them. Chuck

[Sand crab]

To clarify to the OP. Unlocked phones are not tied to any carrier. Locked phones are locked to the carrier and you can't switch that phone to a different carrier. The whole service provider, minutes, coverage and everything else is all in that little sim card. With an unlocked phone you can go to many foreign countries and still use the same phone. There are a ton of these on Ebay and everywhere else. You can buy them at Walmart and probably Verizon, too. More here.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/mobile-p...at284300050008

[bob_77903]

My Verizon smart phone (Samsung G III) is unlocked, and has a +Movil sim card and works like being at home in Panama. Cost $1 to buy 30 minutes call time to USA. Verizon rep told me it wouldn't work here with someone else's sim card, guess the phone didn't get that memo...FWIW