Cell phone providers

I suggest you look into MagicJack, Its a little match box size device that you attach to your router and plug in a landline phone. When you make a call it originates from the US servers.  Since I have a North Carolina number the call is from North Carolina to any US or Canada number.

I am retired now and still have my MagicJack, but when I traveled to Latin America I would take my MagicJack with me and when we went out to dinner I would call home and then pass my laptop around so we could all call home. We did this almost every night.

This device is dirt cheap, and here at home I used it for my FAX machine and it is hooked up to my home alarm system. Been using it for more than 10 years with zero problems.
Look into it.....

you can leave the magicjack attached to ur router back home and install the MagicJack app on ur cell

Some may find this a bit off topic, but my feeling is the most important aspect of cell service in the DR is mobile data because there are many ways to voice call or video call without placing a traditional phone call. WhatsApp is practically the default way most folks place calls in the Dominican Republic and many other places worldwide. It uses only data, not traditional voice service, and when you are connected to WiFi, it uses that and not your mobile data plan. Same deal with Skype and other similar products (mostly free), including the Magic Jack smartphone app. For some, WhatsApp or Skype, etc . . , will not be an easy solution, because the pool of people one calls may not contain enough users with a comfort level high enough to use apps on their smartphones. My mother just gave up her flip phone at 80+ years old, for example, and I am not introducing her to WhatsApp to preserve her sanity. As for DR cell providers, I only have experience with Altice and it is ok, but not great in terms of coverage and signal strength in my anecdotal experience. I would give Claro a shot in a do-over. I know people who use Magic Jack and swear by it, so not knocking that at all. There are other porting services that take advantage of VOIP too and they have been discussed here in the telecommunications thread. Magic Jack and other porting services do not require users to use any particular app because they support typical phone calling and all the business about VOIP and porting are invisible to callers. On a final note I have GoogleFi on my US cell phone and get great coverage and speed in the DR for no additional cost. It does not appear to be throttled at all, connecting mostly at 4G. This is basically an alternative to TMobile that does the same thing. It is my understanding, however, that users can run into trouble with Google Fi if they are using their phone outside the USA excessively without using it much in the USA. I think the original poster and I would agree that there are great ways to make free (or super cheap) international calls without placing traditional international calls. I have been very long-winded in saying that the quality of your mobile data (and/or home WiFI)  is key to using any of these solutions as they all use the Internet (VOIP).

rms171 wrote:

As the last poster said it depends on where in the country you are. Generally Claro and Orange (now Altice) offer the best coverage.  My wife has used both and found Claro to be better. Our usage has been basically in Puerto Plata and in the Capital. We use prepay more out of convenience that anything elsein addition use the SNES ROMS.

Thank you for sharing this information with me

Thanks for the magic jack info, coming to D.R in a few weeks for 3 months just ordered a magic jack
to bring with me so l can call back to Canada and the U.S. thanks again , Terry.

Terryo wrote:

Thanks for the magic jack info, coming to D.R in a few weeks for 3 months just ordered a magic jack
to bring with me so l can call back to Canada and the U.S. thanks again , Terry.

for Claro users the app works without internet service, so is not an issue to top the prepaid service.

I recommend textnow app, you can have a 2nd. phone number from USA or Canada and works very good, also can send and receive text messages.

I read Unclebucks reply about using Textnow.

I did an online chat with TextNow and their online customer service said they don't do that.

Can you help me out @UncleBuck with how you did this please ?

Thanks )

ihopkins1272 wrote:

I read Unclebucks reply about using Textnow.

I did an online chat with TextNow and their online customer service said they don't do that.

Can you help me out @UncleBuck with how you did this please ?

Thanks )

Hello, I use textNow, what you says they do not do?

ihopkins1272 wrote:

I read Unclebucks reply about using Textnow.

I did an online chat with TextNow and their online customer service said they don't do that.

Can you help me out @UncleBuck with how you did this please ?

Thanks )

I'd love to help, if I can.  It's probably best to do that privately some don't clog the thread with details not needed by everyone.

Hi UncleBuck.

Thanks for your willingness to help. I am new here, so I don't have enough posts to allow me to message you. Would you start the messaging with me please as I will be able to reply to you.

Thanks so much

Great info on this thread for newcomers and telephone service.  Personally, I have been using magic jack for Canadian and US telecommunications from the DR for more than 10 years.  I use whatsapp predominantly in the DR and also with some Family in Canada.  I use FB messenger for family and contacts in Europe and have not had a need for anything else.  All work well and do not use your data plan as long as you are connected to the internet.  Also I use Magicjack both on my mobile (app) and connected (mj device) to my home network through a series of portable phones.

@SFP203 I live in Santo Domingo and I found the both Claro and Altice work well. However, since nearly everyone in my circle has Claro, I choose to use Claro.

@SFP203 I live in Santo Domingo and I found the both Claro and Altice work well. However, since nearly everyone in my circle has Claro, I choose to use Claro.

- @Profe Agayu

To have Claro postpay service has the advantage that you can travel and use roaming service for free.  They let you use your phone with same benefics of your plan here in more than 30 countries in America and Europe. 

- @Riva31

To have Claro postpay service has the advantage that you can travel and use roaming service for free.  They let you use your phone with same benefics of your plan here in more than 30 countries in America and Europe. 

- @Riva31

Claro roaming is far from free, in Canada at least.  You need to call Claro to get roaming unlocked, and purchase internet for the days you are out of the country.  Despite all the promises and information to the contrary, it is not free, and it is not easy.  And you HAVE to do it before you leave the DR, and buy the internet package for a few days ahead of time, too.  And this is assuming you can access your Claro account online, which I couldn't, because they add 2 zeros to the end of you passport and won't telly until you hound them for access.  Adding funds to the Claro account is fun, too.  It is strange how difficult and counterintuitive they make it.  But it can be done!

- @UncleBuck

I have a Claro "Smart Postpago" plan (just confirmed in the Mi Claro app) and I have to purchase roaming when I go back to the US. We've been told it's supposed to be free, but like Uncle Buck says, no matter how many times I've called, the only thing that works is to add money to my account and buy a roaming plan. Fortunately, it's not too expensive (less than getting a US sim and prepaid plan) and I'm typically on wifi most of the time I'm traveling.

- @ddmcghee

@Riva31 I have a 3G plan and my last trip to the US started on the first day of my new month so I had lots of data left but still no roaming until I found wifi and purchased the plan.

@Riva31 I have a 3G plan and my last trip to the US started on the first day of my new month so I had lots of data left but still no roaming until I found wifi and purchased the plan.

- @ddmcghee

Just revisiting this thread on who is the best for cell phone service if you wanted service strictly in DR - contract or not just quality service without outages.

@planner

Good morning

Do Claro have unlimited data for cell phone or how it works and how much in Las Terrenas?

Thanks you