Check through this board and the relocation board as this has been addressed alot before. I have Verizon and it didn't work at all, despite that *288 thing or something like that to bring in closer satellites.

That's the first time ever i've heard that Verizon has satellite phones.

Sprint might or might not work 80% chance will not work. Cingular has the best coverage on USVI.

Hello Marlin,

Sprint is a cell phone provider here in the VI so yes it works and has pretty good coverage. I've used my Sprint phone on St. John, there are some areas I lost signal in (true as well on STT, WI & STX as far as some drop signal areas; and true of all the local cell phone providers).

If you have the Sprint nationwide plan you should be all set in terms of using the phone in the USVI within your regular rate plan, but if you are uncertain you might call just to make sure.

--Islander

I had excellent coverage with Sprint in Cruz Bay & vicinity, and at the north shore beaches, but had roaming service on the Coral bay side.

I may have "misspoke"- I'm a complete idiot about these things but someone had said on this board that if you press *288 or something like that, you may get reception. I did but it didn't happen. But gee, I did think that satellites were required to bounce the waves or whatever off the towers but I'm dumb about this stuff.

Hello Karrieb,

I remember the mention of the *288/Verizon phones in a previous thread. It’s called a PRL update (I think its intended to update the phone so it 'knows' of all the newest and existing towers/satellites available in the Verizon network). So you were pretty on target with your explanation of what you were trying to do when you said "*288 or something like that to bring in closer satellites". 😀

Now all that said Verizon is not a provider here in the VI so experiences vary. I've seen where some folks said their Verizon phone didn't work at all and others said it worked with roaming charges.

PS. I just pulled up an old message where Tosha wrote on Verizon roaming charges + the USVI as: ".67 min plus access fees, but they were unable to tell me what the access fees would run".

--Islander