You may be asking yourself: How or can I use my cell phone (or 3g ipad) in Costa Rica?

This 3-part post will help you understand:

1. Part 1. Unlocking and using your cell phone (or 3g ipad) in Costa Rica
2. Part 2. Purchasing and using a pre-paid SIM card
3. Part 3. Accessing the Internet on your phone And Using your Smartphone as a modem for your laptop… Anywhere there is reception in Costa Rica

Part 1. Unlocking and using YOUR cell phone in Costa Rica  

Using a cell phone while traveling in Costa Rica can be quite easy and convenient. Extremely easy if you already own an unlocked GSM phone. Don’t know what that is? Well here you go.

**First let's touch on NOT using your USA cell phones and NOT coming home to a surprising $1,000 bill. (This is for people who do not want to use their phone in Costa Rica but would like to take it along for emergency or to just use wifi…)   Please remember to turn off your data/internet/facebook while in another country if you do not want to pay an extraordinary high cell phone bill for roaming. This means activate the airplane mode if you have it or switch off “Mobile Data” (or power it off all together). You can typically still use wifi on your phone when it is available, but don’t use the mobile data, even go as far as taking the battery out, I know this from experience. I had a friend whose phone turned on accidentally in her bag and without knowing all of her emails were being fetched and apps updated…

Back to our regularly scheduled program…

Using Your Cell Phone in Costa Rica 101

(The boring stuff - basic version)

There are 2 different types of cell phone services in the USA:

• GSM - the ones with SIM cards i.e. T-Mobile, AT&T  (Good!! Yay!)
• CDMA – No SIM card i.e. Verizon, Sprint  (Boo Bad!! – as far as Costa Rica is concerned)

Costa Rica Uses GSM – 1800 Mhz (good for making calls, texting and light Internet use)

 and

UMTS/HSDPA (3G) – 850 Mhz (good enough for video calls/Skype and high speed internet)

 

 Here is a little cheat sheet if you understand the basics of cell phone technology.

 

 

 

 

To find out what the frequency of you phone is and if it is compatible with Costa Rica visit - GSM Arena and enter your phone’s model number in to the “Quick phone search” (top right corner)

 

Here are a couple of Examples:

 

BlackBerry 9700

 

 

Below, my HTC Android G2 - note that only 2g works on the 850 Mhz. That means that it works but I cannot use 3G speeds. It is a little slower.

So much for my $450 4G phone in Costa Rica.... I wish I had this guide when I purchased my phone.

 

 

Using your unlocked iphone in Costa Rica couldn’t be easier, here are the specs for an iphone 4s and iphone 3gs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally an ipad (all generations have the same GSM specs as far as Costa Rica is concerned)

 

 

 

 

Ok…

 

Using Your Cell Phone in Costa Rica 102 – Unlocking your phone.

 

In the USA and many other countries when you purchase a phone from a carrier it is typically “Locked” to that carrier’s network. For example you cannot simply put a T-Mobile SIM card in your AT&T iphone and expect it to work. The phone will only work with the carrier who sold it to you… tricky huh. btw, this practice was deemed un-ethical and made illegal in Costa Rica. You can read about that HERE... yippytrip.com/aleaders/blog/8920/

 

 

**Back-up your phone if possible just to be safe. Here is apple's guide for iphones support.apple.com/kb/HT1766

 

 

Unlocking your phone can be a simple and cheap process depending on what type of phone you have. For the majority of phones all you need to do is send a few numbers from the back of your phone (IMEI) to an unlocking service.

 

 

Here are a few services that we like and trust:

 

 

Coming soon...

 

 

iphones are a little more difficult but don’t fret, we found a service that walks you through the whole process here:

 

Unlock your iphone 3, 3S, 4 and ipad - - - Easy!

 

They not only give you video tutorials but allow you to unlock as many iphones, ipads as you want... UNLIMITED!

 

Another option for those who just like simple easy soulutions (who doesn't). Just purchase a phone that is already unlocked and ready to go.

Click this link for a list of phones. ** Disclaimer - you should always check with GSM arena to make 100% sure that it is compatable.

 

Unlocked Phones Ready for Costa Rica

 

There are also services available that will rent you a phone ready to go… but why waste your time and money when it is so simple to use your own.

 

 

 

Part 2. Purchasing and using a pre-paid SIM card - Coming Soon

 

 

Make sure you check out YIPPYtrip for Daily Bar/Restaurant Specials, Events/Activities, Hotels and Deals on Transportation throughout Costa Rica

FYI... YIPPYtrip is mobile friendly, you can access all of the great deals and specials right from your phone!