Many people I run into in the Bahamas have troulbe getting their cell phones online through the BTC Bahamas cell grid. Having done this 5 years now, I will try to simplify the process as best I can. If you brought me your phone and BTC sim card, this would take me 2 minutes! Most people just go into a BTC store and ask them to do this for them. I never go into a BTC store, the same way I never go to a Verizon store in the USA.
Here is the Process for getting online in the Bahamas with a BTC Bahamas Sim Card.
#1: Getting your sim card
We always buy our BTC sim car BEFORE we leave the USA. We order this online from
MrSimCard.com this way, your phone will be active when you sail into the Bahamas. You will pay a small premium to Mr Sim Card but it is worth it. You need to buy the card, and buy a data package and minutes from him, then you give him a date of when you want the card activated. This can be via email, phone call, or text while in the USA. We always text him when we are ready to head out the next day. Then our BTC cell is loaded and activated and ready to go.
#2: Adding the APN, Access Point Name into your cell phone
In order for your unlocked quad band cell phone to go online in the Bahamas, you will need to add a new APN to your cell phone. This is no big deal, but people never get this part and THIS is one key reason they cannot get online. Look into your phone settings and you will see network or mobile network. Under there you will see ACCESS POINT NAME, APN, and click the new button or add button to create a new APN. All you have to add is where it says Name, enter, internet.btcbahamas.com and then where it says APN enter the same thing, internet.btcbahamas.com. Now save the new APN and your phone now knows where to find the internet.
#3: Buy your Data Plan using *205# send
WHAT? Yes, you now need to make a phone call in order to buy a data plan. Simply make a phone call to *205# and then hit send. A screen will come up that allows you to order a data plan. Simply press the number that correlates to the plan you want to buy and confirm this following the screen prompts. At this point you have now bought a data plan. Since you already added the APN for the Bahamas, your phone will not jump online. Welcome to the Internet in the Bahamas. It works very well.
#4: Adding Money to your SIM Card with Easy TopUp
Eventually you will run out of money in your account and you will need to add more money. This is called TOPUP. You will see signs all over the Bahamas for TOPUP HERE. The easiest way to do this is to use the BTCHahamas.com web site. In there you can create an account and add your credit card to your account. I use my Amex card. Once you have a BTCbahamas account, you can click the EASY TOPUP link and in there you can associate your BTC cell phone number with your account. Once you have your cell phone number in your account, now you can add money to your cell phone number. We alwasy try to keep $20-$50 in our account. That way we can order new data when we need it. NOTE: There is an EDIT button under EASY TOPUP where you can change your cell phone number. This is sometimes needed because they may not have your right number associated with your account. You also could add money to another cell phone number, like a friends, or child's account, that is why you need to CHECK you number associated with your account. I have added money to another person's cell and they would not transfer it back, so be careful with Esay TopUP online. It works great, it is just different.
#5: Codes you need
You only need to know these.
*205# send to check data used, and to buy new data
*201# send to check you account balance
internet.btcbahamas.com add this APN to your phone
www.BTCbahamas.com create an account and use Easy TOPUP
#6: Websites
www.btcbahamas.com/
www.btcbahamas.com/support/category/mobile
www.btcbahamas.com/support/article/getti...th-your-mobile-phone
Welcome to the Bahamas, they are connected and it works very well.
Hayden, in Cambridge Cay with a WeBoost cell antenna picking up the signal from Staniel Cay!
