Pocket Wifi Bahamas

So as not to continue this discussion on the taxi thread; I chatted with the Bahama Wifi folks and for the 10.00/day you get a TOTAL of 2GB of data. The device also shows you what is remaining. If you need more than that you would have to rent two since they can not be reloaded. I think we are going to try it in April.
http://pocketwifibahamas.com/

Thank you Alexadeparis!

Very interesting - thanks for posting. At about 1/3 the cost of Harborside's wifi - it's worth a try. Please repost back on your experience.

FYI - noticed they used a pic of the wrong Atlantis on the website.

FYI, they add on shipping and taxes, so it's about $100/week to rent one device. Still significantly cheaper than HRA's wifi.

Thanks for the additional information. We are headed there for the first time in mid-April, so will look into this as well.

Mike

Why not just bring your own mifi and get a SIM card? I haven't been there in a few years and had simply used Harborside's network but it does seem overly expensive these days. I've used my mifi with a local sim successfully in other countries.

https://www.btcbahamas.com/explore/mobile/prepaid


Sent from my iPad

Another reasonable idea. But we do not have a mifi, sim card could work too but would limit to one device not the 5 you get with the bahama wifi. I guess you might be able to use as hotspot.

But we are now at the edge of my technical expertise.

We used a sim card in New Zealand and it worked out great.

We will be there for two weeks and if you exclude the day in and out it comes to $156 for 12 days. I do some consulting so email is essential.

Negma said:

So as not to continue this discussion on the taxi thread; I chatted with the Bahama Wifi folks and for the 10.00/day you get a TOTAL of 2GB of data. The device also shows you what is remaining. If you need more than that you would have to rent two since they can not be reloaded. I think we are going to try it in April.
http://pocketwifibahamas.com/

Thank you Alexadeparis!

Click to expand...

No problem. I think 2 Gb would have been plenty for the whole week if we didn't have 8 people. Ymmv, but unless you're running a business while there, one unit should be enough.

What do they charge for extra data ? Sorry I just saw you have to rent another one.

Xcom Global

There is a service offered by Xcom Global that provides for unlimited data in the Bahamas.

You rent the mifi device from them and tell them what country you will be using the device in.

The mifi device allows up to 10 users to connect.

The web site is www.xcomglobal.com.

I have not used them, but will use them on my next trip so I can have more connections for our group and service outside of Paradise Island.

Following..sounds great. Any close idea How much will be for 1 week?

emeryjre said:

There is a service offered by Xcom Global that provides for unlimited data in the Bahamas.

You rent the mifi device from them and tell them what country you will be using the device in.

The mifi device allows up to 10 users to connect.

The web site is www.xcomglobal.com.

I have not used them, but will use them on my next trip so I can have more connections for our group and service outside of Paradise Island.

Click to expand...

I didn't act early enough so the first website for the 2GB offering was sold out for our dates in April. I checked the most recently mentioned site and it came to approximately $180 for one week, including insurance, shipping and handling. I called Harborside and they charge $23.60 per day or about $165 for a week.

At this stage for our needs, we will just go with the resorts system.

Welcome to the Bahamas.

Mike

mjm1 said:

I didn't act early enough so the first website for the 2GB offering was sold out for our dates in April. I checked the most recently mentioned site and it came to approximately $180 for one week, including insurance, shipping and handling. I called Harborside and they charge $23.60 per day or about $165 for a week.

At this stage for our needs, we will just go with the resorts system.

Welcome to the Bahamas.

Mike

Click to expand...

My recommendation -- do not sign up for the weekly plan. It offers no discount over daily, and in our experience the stop time of the 24-hour plan rarely coincides with the next time we want/need to use the internet. Oftentimes we'll be over at the water park, shopping, cooking dinner, or doing any number of other activities when the 24-hour period ends. The next time one of us needs to be online, we simply sign up for another 24-hour plan. This results in a "gain" of a few hours or more on most days, which for us was enough to reduce the weekly cost of internet to 5 daily plans instead of 1 weekly plan, saving about $50.

mac81 said:

What do they charge for extra data ? Sorry I just saw you have to rent another one.

Click to expand...

You can not add data to the device. You get 2GB that's it. For us should be plenty, we will see, I have rented it for 12 days.

okwiater said:

My recommendation -- do not sign up for the weekly plan. It offers no discount over daily, and in our experience the stop time of the 24-hour plan rarely coincides with the next time we want/need to use the internet. Oftentimes we'll be over at the water park, shopping, cooking dinner, or doing any number of other activities when the 24-hour period ends. The next time one of us needs to be online, we simply sign up for another 24-hour plan. This results in a "gain" of a few hours or more on most days, which for us was enough to reduce the weekly cost of internet to 5 daily plans instead of 1 weekly plan, saving about $50.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. That sounds like a great way to manage it.

Mike

If you have Sprint service, they include free international data and text with most smartphone plans. Data speed is 2G or 3G, and they have high speed data plans you can add on.

1-day pass: 100MB of unrestricted data: $15
7-day pass: 200MB of unrestricted data: $25
14-day pass: 500MB of unrestricted data: $50
No overage charges!

(Yes, I do know this makes no sense - how can unrestricted data have limits? And if there are limits but no overage charges, then those are not really limits?)

Also, I found out about another grocery delivery service: www.instagopher.com They're new, and their web site isn't completely updated with item prices yet, but they say they will be much lower priced than FoodStore2Go. They will also accept Amex, which FS2G does not.

And speaking of Amex - can we use our Amex as the card we register with Harborside?
Also, can anyone provide details on the kitchen supplies? I've heard this, that and the other ... we'll be in a 1 bed premium, if that matters.

We have t mobile family plan. We get free data and free text overseas. It was very handy when we were in Australia/New Zealand over Christmas and new year. My brother also got free texts and data when they were in Italy last month. I assume we will have free data too in Bahamas when we go later this month.

The only draw back is we only have data on the phones. I check with t mobile and ask about personal hot spot for iPad or laptop and was told 1gb data each phone will not last long. We don't plan to stream movies, only for me to check email and to surf the web and for my daughter to do her online homework. I guess if I get desperate, it will pay for 1 or 2 days of internet. Pocket wifi is sold out for our days too.

Anyone has experience using 1 gb of data as hotspot for web surfing? Will it last us for 5-6 days in Bahamas?

lily28 said:

Anyone has experience using 1 gb of data as hotspot for web surfing? Will it last us for 5-6 days in Bahamas?

Click to expand...

I share 3 gb of data with my husband and 2 kids. Combined, we don't use more than 1 gb of data in a month. I think the key is to not stream movies and/or music. And, of course, if you are at a place that offers free Wifi, hop on that.

Please pardon my ignorance :ignore: but to use one of these mobile hot spots do we all have to be in the same room?
I am going with 6 adults with multiple devices for a 4 night stay but we will be in two units.

I will request we are near each other but how close do we need to be to use the hot spot device?

TIA

Edit : I see the first service allows 5 devices and the second 10...how many does the resort allow for $23.60 per day???

Update from pocket wifi and Harborside. We are still here and have been using the device for 8 days. It works as advertised. We have used it at the waterpark, by the pool, and of course the room. The coverage covers the whole room so my wife can be in the bedroom and I can sit on the couch ( which I am a professional)
The customer service was very helpful because we were traveling to Miami first and they made sure it got to us there.
My email provider did not like me accessing my email from the Bahamas on the device but that is another issue and not their fault
The only issue we have is the screen was missing pixels and could not see how much data is left, but at 2 GB and no streaming we will be fine.
Much better than $23/ day. I have heard several front deck folks apologizing for the cost of Internet. Our total cost for 13 days is $153 with tax.

GrayFal said:

Edit : I see the first service allows 5 devices and the second 10...how many does the resort allow for $23.60 per day???

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I believe the resort allows 4, and they have to be the same device. Once you use one, it's one of your 4 allowed devices for the entire week.

LisaRex said:

I believe the resort allows 4, and they have to be the same device. Once you use one, it's one of your 4 allowed devices for the entire week.

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Thanks. I am sure we can make it work. The second room can get their own account. We will do the daily service for 3-4 days.

LisaRex said:

I believe the resort allows 4, and they have to be the same device. Once you use one, it's one of your 4 allowed devices for the entire week.

Click to expand...

This may be correct for the weekly price (is there one?). It's probably the daily price times 7, but I am not sure. If you get the daily plan you can switch devices each time you start a new 24 hours block.

Verizon $10 day bahamas

My son just brought this to my attention so I thought I would pass it along. The chart does include the Bahamas for $10/day. Mexico only $2. We are headed to China next year and it is included in the $10/day pricing.

https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/international-travel/

TravelPassSM
Now your wireless plan travels just like you do. For just $2 a day per line in Mexico and Canada and $10 a day per line in more than 100 countries you can take your domestic talk, text and data allowances with you. You're only charged on the days you use your device abroad. It's an economical way to stay connected while you travel.

I have a Vodafone SIM I use with my iPad in Germany, and 1GB is plenty for me for significant surfing, as long as I don't watch too many videos. Getting a local SIM costs about $5 (one time). 1GB of data is about $15, good for a 30 day period, no contracts. I think it's $35 for 3GB.

For my phone, I use ATT Passport program. There are different price tiers. I find 300MB is plenty to just check e-mail and some light browsing. That costs $60 for 30 days, and includes unlimited text messaging and $0.50/min international calling. For $120 you get 800MB of data, unlimited texting and $0.35/min calls. The program works in most countries. A local SIM could work and be less expensive, but then I get a local phone number and can't be reached at my US number while using the local SIM. The data allowances do not impact your US data usage.

With AT&T you can log into your account and look at your historical data usage to see how much data you really need for your normal daily usage.

This vendor sucks

I do not recommend this vendor. Back in March, I pre-paid $100 for a week's usage. We got the device and there was no return label, as promised. I contacted the vendor via email and received no reply.

After we arrived, we used it successfully for 1 day. However, after 1 GB of data, it stopped working. I tried contacting the vendor several times to ask why it stopped and he never responded. I tried via phone, text and email. Nothing. So we basically paid $100 for one day's usage. Then we got to pay $25 a day for HRA's wireless for the remainder of the time.

When I returned, I emailed again asking for refund of my purchase price because the device stopped working. I asked where ANYWHERE on the website it indicated it was capped at 1 GB of data. I also informed him that unless I received a return label, I'd be keeping the device.

Well, he finally responded, with a return label. Not a word about a refund, and not even a stinking apology.

He sucks. I won't be using him ever again. If I had the ability to dispute the charges with AMEX, I would, but I stupidly pre-paid, so it was after the 3 months where I could dispute the charge.
Yippee!