PBH / Colombia / Forums (active) Travelguide Cheap hostels Pictures

cell phone service in medellin

i just bought an unlocked gsm quad band phone without sim card. can anyone tell me the process of getting service without a year plan. i am only going to be in medellin for 11 days. whats the process? what service is best? how much per minute or what kind of packages are there? thank you!

By payner on Feb 17, 2008, 10:28 in Friendly Talkzone.

panthdave says on Feb 17, 2008, 14:05:

Good luck my friend...Found a sim on the street..Has been very tough without a cedula to get a sim..and prepaid service..Its changing....and there cracking down....with the new rules..

panthdave Miami

0 funny, 0 helpful.

payner says on Feb 17, 2008, 14:10:

i have 2 friends that came up to the u.s. and went to school and lived with me for awhile from medellin. how can they help? like i said i just want maybe 3 or 4 hours of service or so. thanks!

0 funny, 0 helpful.

pedro (☼Travelguide writer) says on Feb 17, 2008, 14:31:

Movistar's prepaid plan is a good option. The plan lets you call Movistar, Comcel, Tigo and fixed line phones for a flat rate per-minute.

I would start with the shopping malls and try and buy a legit SIM card. Bring your passport and a couple of loose passport-size photos for the sign-up. This method was fine a year or so ago. I am not up to date with the latest developments.

If you have no success, go to Centro in Medellin (ask the taxi driver for a cluster of cell-phone repair shops, if he wants a street tell him Junin). You should have no trouble procuring a SIM card.

Bear in mind that each SIM is registered to a name and address (kind of like a vehicle is). There are probably no consequences of using a SIM that you bought informally, but just keep that in mind (cell phone numbers can be put on high rotation by criminal elements to cut down the risk of their communications being traced).

"this may seem a strange post but it is not...when in colombia men need to be aware that colombia women may try to be seductive and entice a travelling gringo to have sex with them..to be forewarned is to be forearmed..." -- pow wow

0 funny, 0 helpful.