If you’re planning on doing business when you visit our Coast, which many of our readers are, here’s an important tip: Get a Uruguayan phone number!
A foreign mobile service may work in Uruguay, but to do business effectively within the country, you’ll need a Uruguayan phone number. While Uruguay is not a poor country, the average businessperson is not going to call your US number. Won’t happen. In addition, placing any volume of calls at all, could be really expensive with a US cell phone….hundreds of dollars.
There are two ways to solve the problem:
The first possibility is to buy a phone when you get here and hold on to it for future visits (less than US$80.) The second option is to bring an “Unlocked” phone with you. The advantage of owning an Unlocked phone is you can take it with you anywhere in the world and use with very little extra expense.
There are two options for an Unlocked phone. Option one is to unlock your current GSM phone, or, buy an Unlocked GSM handset. In either case, all that’s required is to place a Sim Card (the handset’s brain) from a Uruguayan service provider such as Ancel or Movistar, inside your device. The magic word is Unlocked.
Here’s the skinny on Locked/Unlocked. When you buy a phone from ATT, T-Mobile, or whoever, it’s Locked to work only on the supplier’s network (That’s why the phone is cheap when signing up for a new service.)
Unlocking your Existing GSM Handset:
If you have a fairly recent, or not TOO new/exotic, there are shops in Uruguayan cities that can Unlock your phone. (There are hardware only stores in most countries that can as well.) This is the type of cottage industry the people here do very well with. All that’s required is the software and a little knowledge. The cost is about US$25.
Buying an Unlocked GSM Phone:
Handsets can by purchased online or at wireless hardware retail stores. The specifications are pretty simple; you’re looking for a Quad Band GSM phone. (More bands are better but not really necessary.) A quad band device will function on the four frequency bands that cover about 85% of the planet. A nice handset can be had online for less than US$200. For instance, we bought an unlocked handset, plugged in the ATT Sim, and the service came right up. Mostly, it was that simple when we put in the Ancel Sim.
An Unlocked phone doesn’t “care” what service it’s directed to use.
The Last Piece:
The Sim card can be purchased online or in Uruguay. We bought a Sim card from Ancel in Montevideo for 50 pesos, about US$2.50. The online sites make a big deal (convenience) of buying the card from them before leaving the country….for about US$25. Based on a couple technical twists, buy the chip in UY.
You’re ready for business.
Stay Tuned!
Steve Bowman
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