Cybereagles

Who is the best carrier?Are there plans designed for the tourists for the duration of the world cup? Definitely need unlimited data plan to post pics and call back the US for cheap.

Local US phone carrier have international service when you travel. You may want to look into that first.

Undertaker wrote:Local US phone carrier have international service when you travel. You may want to look into that first.

That's an expensive option. You are better off buying a local sim card and just putting it in an unlocked phone!

Then, to call back US you can always use skype for that

KIZONZO wrote:

Undertaker wrote:Local US phone carrier have international service when you travel. You may want to look into that first.

That's an expensive option. You are better off buying a local sim card and just putting it in an unlocked phone!

Then, to call back US you can always use skype for that

Was thinking about this as well, might buy a cheap phone and get a local Sim card to use there, prob the easiest and cheapest way of going about things. This is what I have read from Trip advisor

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic ... neiro.html

"Sorry to disagree with the author.

I have been to Brazil more than one hundred times. I have had three different SIM cards for nearly ten years. One for Sao Paulo, one for Rio and one for Porto Alegre. I use TIM as my service provider.

I am an American and have NEVER had a problem buying a SIM card or top ups for the SIM cards. All one needs in Brazil to buy a SIM from TIM is to produce either an unexpired driver license or passport.

If you buy a SIM on the street, those require a CPF number. However, if you go to one of many TIM stores (many are located within Lojas Americanas stores around large cities in Brazil).

When you buy the SIM card, ask the seller to choose "infinity pre" and you will be able to make local calls to fixed numbers and to other TIM numbers for 25 centavos. The data plans are automatic and cost 50 centavos each day of use (checking e-mail or using the internet). The internet speed is slow, only 2G with prepaid plans.

I hope this helps".

I used Claro when I was there last year for Confed cup. The phone worked great with my iphone and was able to do pretty much all calls, text and data without problems.

Got a different sim from them for the ipad. The Claro shop could not get the internet to work. They spent hours trying to configure the thing without giving them the Brazillian identification number it required. I guess by then they were not ready for non brazilian residents.

Dem chop my money for the ipad sim card and data plan. On my way outta the country, I had plenty of time to kill at the airport so I complained to the Brazilian consumer advocates at the airport, filed forms, they promised to get back to me, but I am still waiting one year later!

Cmoke

ikemba_nacho wrote:

KIZONZO wrote:

Undertaker wrote:Local US phone carrier have international service when you travel. You may want to look into that first.

That's an expensive option. You are better off buying a local sim card and just putting it in an unlocked phone!

Then, to call back US you can always use skype for that

Was thinking about this as well, might buy a cheap phone and get a local Sim card to use there, prob the easiest and cheapest way of going about things. This is what I have read from Trip advisor

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/ShowTopic ... neiro.html

"Sorry to disagree with the author.

I have been to Brazil more than one hundred times. I have had three different SIM cards for nearly ten years. One for Sao Paulo, one for Rio and one for Porto Alegre. I use TIM as my service provider.

I am an American and have NEVER had a problem buying a SIM card or top ups for the SIM cards. All one needs in Brazil to buy a SIM from TIM is to produce either an unexpired driver license or passport.

If you buy a SIM on the street, those require a CPF number. However, if you go to one of many TIM stores (many are located within Lojas Americanas stores around large cities in Brazil).

When you buy the SIM card, ask the seller to choose "infinity pre" and you will be able to make local calls to fixed numbers and to other TIM numbers for 25 centavos. The data plans are automatic and cost 50 centavos each day of use (checking e-mail or using the internet). The internet speed is slow, only 2G with prepaid plans.

I hope this helps".

Most of my friends down there use TIM. They claim it is the cheapest.

Take your unlocked phone to a mall and you will find a TIM store. Carry your passport, and get a TIM sim.
Put like R$30 on it. It will go quickly. But you can top of at pharmacies and newspapers stands.

If you use data you are only charged R$1 a day so Skype, email etc will work perfectively.

Alternatively, if you have U.S. T-Mobile, texting and data from Brasil is free so you can use Viber and Whatsapp to make calls.

Does that include T-mobile pay as you go?

elhadji wrote:Most of my friends down there use TIM. They claim it is the cheapest.

Take your unlocked phone to a mall and you will find a TIM store. Carry your passport, and get a TIM sim.
Put like R$30 on it. It will go quickly. But you can top of at pharmacies and newspapers stands.

If you use data you are only charged R$1 a day so Skype, email etc will work perfectively.

Alternatively, if you have U.S. T-Mobile, texting and data from Brasil is free so you can use Viber and Whatsapp to make calls.

did you guys not get your brazil sim in your fifa welcome package

nanijoe wrote:Does that include T-mobile pay as you go?

elhadji wrote:Most of my friends down there use TIM. They claim it is the cheapest.

Take your unlocked phone to a mall and you will find a TIM store. Carry your passport, and get a TIM sim.
Put like R$30 on it. It will go quickly. But you can top of at pharmacies and newspapers stands.

If you use data you are only charged R$1 a day so Skype, email etc will work perfectively.

Alternatively, if you have U.S. T-Mobile, texting and data from Brasil is free so you can use Viber and Whatsapp to make calls.

Same question i was going to ask but after doing some research online it looks like this is not an option on the pay as you go plans.

Lager-back wrote:did you guys not get your brazil sim in your fifa welcome package

I don't have a "welcome package" ............... at least not yet. Are you talking about the ticket delivery? As one of my friends sent me a txt yesterday that he got his ticket delivered by DHL yesterday. He is located in NY, so I am hoping i will get my ticket delivered in the next few days.

KIZONZO wrote:

Lager-back wrote:did you guys not get your brazil sim in your fifa welcome package

I don't have a "welcome package" ............... at least not yet. Are you talking about the ticket delivery? As one of my friends sent me a txt yesterday that he got his ticket delivered by DHL yesterday. He is located in NY, so I am hoping i will get my ticket delivered in the next few days.

Good to hear. Have not had my tickets delivered yet. Still too early to worry, but....

Lager-back wrote:did you guys not get your brazil sim in your fifa welcome package

I didn't get a sim card in my welcome package.

Undertaker wrote:

Lager-back wrote:did you guys not get your brazil sim in your fifa welcome package

I didn't get a sim card in my welcome package.

I was messing around...

tfco wrote:are there many (free) wifi spots in Brazil?

The airports nko.

There will be free wifi at the stadium. However these will be very crowded and not that fast from previous experience