This section provides detailed information on Cayman telecommunications, internet providers and monthly costs; how to get a mobile phone and what the different telcom providers offer in the Cayman Islands.
The telecommunications industry in the Cayman Islands continues to evolve, resulting in better rates, higher internet speeds, better service and more consumer options. The main providers are Digicel, LIME, Logic and TeleCayman. Local & Long Distance Land Lines Arranging for local telephone service is relatively easy, but the technology is changing fast, so there are many choices depending on your wants and needs. Unlike some countries, every provider in Cayman must be able to provide local and long distance telephone services. Therefore, you can use a fixed line, a wireless fixed line, a cellular phone or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). All the cellular providers offer an International Direct Dialing service, and depending on your rate plan, prices are often comparable to those for fixed lines. Mobile phones also offer messenger services such as BBM and International Text Messaging (SMS) services at a very reasonable cost. There are two companies, Digicel and LIME, that offer mobile services. All four local phone companies, Digical, LIME, Logic and TeleCayman, provide local, long distance and internet services via fixed voice and internet networks with high speed fiber-optic service available in certain areas of the island. Be sure to check out the different plans available based on your needs and calling habits. In addition to long distance calling plans for your mobile and home phones, discounted calling options are available from most carriers. The timeline for getting your residential line installed varies from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks depending on the company and the type of service you choose. If you are building a home in a newly developed area and want a fixed land line installed, check directly with LIME or TeleCayman to confirm the expected time of installation. Digicel and Logic offer modems that you can take home and install with their fixed wireless service, so it is possible to have a phone service up and running in a matter of hours.
Overview Of Provider’s Local & Long Distance Services Digicel was traditionally a mobile centric operator, but now also offers a fixed wireless service which is primarily targeted at business customers and residential customers that want voice and internet packages using their new 4G network. They offer long distance calling on pre-paid or post-paid terms to customers. At the time of this printing, Digicel offers post-paid mobile customers international add-ons of 150 minutes to the US, Canada or UK, or 100 minutes to the world, or 2,500 minutes to Digicel Caribbean numbers. There are also Digicel World Voice plans that offer different price segments for various international calling bundles. You can get more information on all plans and get started by visiting any Digicel dealer with a photo ID and a minimal security deposit. Tel: (345) 623 3444 or www.digicelcayman.com LIME offers picture messaging, which can be used to supplement voice-to-voice communication, as well as international calling via the internet using a VoIP service called NetSpeak. With NetSpeak, you get unlimited international calling for a flat rate. Service options include access to overseas and toll-free numbers, so overseas friends and family can call you for little or nothing. You can use a regular phone, a WiFi phone or your computer to make and receive calls. LIME offers a choice of residential calling plans called HomePlans, which include discounts on broadband service, 25% off calls to your five most called numbers and calling features like voicemail, caller ID and call waiting. Visit www.time4lime.com or visit one of the LIME stores for more information. Logic offers their ChatterBox service that delivers residential telephone service over any internet connection. You just connect your ChatterBox adaptor to the internet, plug in a regular telephone handset and start chatting. Calls to other Logic phones in Cayman are free and all your international calls are covered by a simple fixed charge every month. A Cayman Islands telephone number comes as standard but ChatterBox also lets you have a UK, US or Canadian number so that friends and family can call you at their local rates. Numbers for most other countries are also available. Contact Logic Customer Care at (345) 743 4300 for more information. TeleCayman provides internet service to residential and business customers, along with local and long distance telephone services. They also offer free calling to all other numbers on their local network.
Mobile Service All Cayman mobile phone service providers use GSM technology. As a guideline, CDMA is the technology used by Verizon and Sprint in the US, as well as Telus and Bell in Canada. GSM is the technology used by Vodafone, O2 and Orange in Europe, Cingular and T-Mobile in the US, and Rogers Wireless and Microcell in Canada. While Digicel and LIME do not sell CDMA handsets in Cayman, they both offer CDMA roaming as long as the phone is linked to an account with an overseas CDMA operator. While you’re in Cayman however, it is much cheaper to use Digicel or LIME than an overseas CDMA operator. Once you pick your provider, you must choose between a prepaid or post-paid service plan. The advantage of prepaid mobile service provided by LIME and Digicel is that there is no monthly fee, contractual commitment or deposit. The disadvantage is that you will pay approximately .05¢ more per minute for calling times (rates vary depending on the time and the day you’re your calling). Note that both operators will also run regular price promotions targeting prepaid customers so rates are sometimes even better for certain destinations for prepaid customers. To get prepaid service you simply need to purchase electronic top-ups as needed to add calling credit to your phone number. Top-ups are available online, at ATMs, at 24-hour kiosks and at locations such as gas stations and supermarkets equipped with top-up terminals. Check with your chosen provider for the list of top-up options they offer. The advantage of a post-paid plan is that by purchasing a bundle of minutes on a monthly basis, the cost per minute is less. Some plans offer lower rates on international calls by including them in your bundled minutes. These plans are especially geared to the resident who calls abroad often. Plans are available to share minutes with other people and to set up calling circles to reduce the cost of calling people within the circle. When you sign up for mobile service, be sure to inquire about roaming services and applicable rates, especially if you plan to do a lot of travelling and use your phone while you are away. All providers offer roaming so that people can reach you on your local number while you are abroad. If you are moving to the Island, you may be able to use your existing phone by installing a new SIM card. You can call your home provider and ask if your phone works in the Cayman Islands. If not, you can easily buy a new phone on-Island for a reasonable price.
Overview of Providers’ Mobile Services Both Digicel and LIME’s mobile service covers all three Islands and each has worldwide roaming agreements with other carriers. They also both do per-second billing, itemised billing, flat monthly fees for bundled minutes, roll-over minutes on post-paid plans and support Blackberry service. Digicel offers a closed-user-group (CUG), which allows customers to call from a fixed line to company mobiles or mobile to mobile for a flat monthly fee. They also offer dropped call compensation and ‘Call Me,’ which allow customers to send an SMS text call request to another Digicel subscriber when their prepaid account total is less than CI$1. For business customers, Digicel can customise a mobile package tailored to the size of the business and number of employees involved. They also have an Unlimited Package that offers customers unlimited calls to other Digicel Cayman numbers for only CI$30 per month, with the option of adding unlimited Blackberry service for an additional CI$30. International minutes to the Caribbean, North America, UK, or World Minutes can also be added for CI$19 per month. Digicel also offers Blackberry data roaming for travellers who require internet to their Blackberry smartphones. LIME has post-paid plans that allow people to share minutes on a single plan, which can be especially useful for families and those managing a budget. They also offer reward points to post-paid customers that can then be put towards the purchase of mobile phones and accessories. With a prepaid plan, you can take advantage of the ‘Gimme5’ service where they will advance you CI$5 to top-up your phone until you can go and pay for it. If you are planning to take your phone overseas with you, it is advisable to call your mobile service provider beforehand to make sure roaming is enabled on your account. You will need at least a tri-band or quad-band phone for roaming in the US. Be aware that voicemail messages received while abroad are billed as incoming calls at the regular roaming rate, so you may want to turn off your voicemail while travelling to avoid these charges.
Internet Providers All four providers offer broadband internet service, by either a traditional fixed line network or a fiber optic network (details for each company are listed below). Bandwidths vary depending on whether it is for a business or residence and can start as low as 512Kb and goes as high as 100Mb (upload and download speeds). All four companies offer unlimited internet usage plans and 24/7 customer support. An internet security computer protection add-on is available from Digicel, LIME and Logic for a low monthly fee. Digicel and LIME now both offer a 4G mobile internet service that provides access to mobile email, web-browsing and online updates using a mobile phone. In addition, all providers offer PC cards, which give full mobile internet service on a laptop computer.
Overview of Providers’ Internet Services Digicel Digicel Broadband access for businesses and individuals is offered through their newly launched 4G technology WiMax wireless network. Just visit one of their stores and pick up a wireless modem. Non-business customers have the option of prepaid or post-paid broadband internet plans, with a choice of four different service packages (see below). Digicel delivers its internet via 4G WiMax (wireless technology) and speeds will vary depending on location. Typical download speeds in the greater George Town area can be up to 4Mbps. Rates will vary depending on whether you choose between prepaid or post-paid, or if you prefer daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly service. Rates can be even less if you combine a 4G Broadband account with your GSM mobile post-paid account. They also have a 24/7 customer care hotline and a technical support centre. With Digicel 4G Broadband, there is no installation required, no need for a fixed line, and no need for contracts unless the customer requests a particular service. You just purchase the 4G wireless modem, with the price depending on the model. Pay as you surf plan. Digicel 4G WiMax Broadband rates are as follows: 1 day: CI$7 1 week: CI$19 1 month: CI$58 3 months: CI$140 LIME Residential broadband plans: download rates per month based on one year contract: Mega: 1Mb for CI$28 Mega Plus: 2Mb for CI$48 Mega Max: 3Mb for CI$64 Mega Extreme: 4Mb for CI$90 Mega Optimum: 8Mb for CI$104 A CI$15 discount per month per plan has been applied to the above rates based on a customer having a LIME post-paid mobile plan. The new 8Mb plan offers the highest internet speed available via fibre and landline networks, to ensure the highest upload speeds and reliability. You can get 10% off the monthly broadband rate when you sign up for a HomePlan (residential fixed line service). Mobile bundle discounts cannot be combined with the HomePlan discount. Month-to-month (no contract) rates and business plans which include a free wireless modem and static IP address are also available. All plans include (at no additional cost), a Google-enhanced 7GB email box and related applications, a modem, HotSpot access, a spam and virus blocker and 24/7 customer support. There is a CI$60 service charge for new customers, downgrades and moves.
Logic offers a popular ‘easyConnect’ service for residential customers. Easyconnect is ideal for browsing, email and social networking, for customers that need a quick, cost effective connection to the internet. Customers choose a package, pick up a unit from the Logic offices at Governors Square on West Bay Road, plug it in at home and start surfing straight away. There’s no minimum contract, installation charge or deposit. Service is delivered by an easyConnect modem which is provided as part of the package so there is no need to organise for an engineer to visit your home.
There are three easyConnect plans to choose from: Bronze: 512Kb for CI$40 Silver: 1Mb for CI$50 Gold: 1.5Mb (T1) for CI$69 Logic also offers ‘Fiber to the Home’ (FTTH) Internet service via their high speed network in the George Town and Seven Mile Beach areas. Popular for remote working or gamers, Logic ‘Velocity’ delivers speeds of 20Mb and higher. Contact their Customer Care team on Tel: (345) 743 4300 to find out if Velocity services are available where you live.
TeleCayman focuses on providing businesses with a broad range of data services, including broadband, dedicated internet, international networking, disaster recovery and point-to-point connections. Their network can provide bandwidths ranging from a standard 6Mb to more than 100Mb. Although their focus is business, TeleCayman does provide residential internet service designed for a home office that can be bundled with their telephone service. They also provide email accounts and anti-spam and virus protection.
Monthly residential broadband packages download rates: Home office: 1,200 minutes and 512Kbs for CI$110 Installation: CI$99 (one-time fee)
Providers’ Contacts Digicel Flagship Store Suite 3106, 45 Market Street, Gardenia Court, Camana Bay Corporate office: (345) 623 3444 Customer Care from Digicel mobile: 100 Customer Care while roaming: (345) 326 0000 Email: caycustomercare@digicelgroup.com www.digicelcayman.com
LIME
Galleria Plaza, West Bay Road- Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Saturdays 10am-4pm
Anderson Square, George Town- Mon-Fri 8.15am-5pm (except Tues 9.30am - 5pm) and Saturdays 9am-2pm
Countryside Shopping Village- Mon-Sat 10am-7pm
Customer Care: 811 Directory Assistance: 411 (50¢ per call) Business Services: (345) 949 7800 Email: cs@candw.ky www.time4lime.com
Logic Governors Square, West Bay Road Tel: (345) 743 4300 Fax: (345) 743 4301 Email: info@logic.ky
