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Thread: Best Data service

  1. #1
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    Default Best Data service

    I will be traveling to Jamaica in a few weeks. I want to know which carrier has the better data service and plans Flow or Digicel. I will in Ocho Rios and Port Antonio most the time, I'm am planning on using a T-Mobile LG v20 or a At&t Samsung Galaxy s6. Please provide your feedback.
    Samsung Galaxy S4 running on Verizon

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by thedean0375 View Post
    I will be traveling to Jamaica in a few weeks. I want to know which carrier has the better data service and plans Flow or Digicel. I will in Ocho Rios and Port Antonio most the time, I'm am planning on using a T-Mobile LG v20 or a At&t Samsung Galaxy s6. Please provide your feedback.
    Both carriers should do you well during your stay here in Jamaica. Both offer HSPA+ islandwide and rather reasonable prices for their data plans.

    On Digicel, you may experience faster speeds in some areas (like Montego Bay & Kingston) due to them offering DC-HSDPA there in addition to LTE in some areas in Montego Bay and most of Kingston. Digicel's network however, suffers from congestion in some areas and as such, sees customers being switched down to 2G (or EDGE) by the network. Based on data from Opensignal, Digicel users are reporting average speeds of above 5.5 Mbit/s in Port Antonio but in Ocho Rios, Digicel users report average speeds of less than 3 Mbit/s. On the plans side of things, Digicel has separate plans for 4G (HSPA+) and LTE. Digicel's most basic plan has an allotment of 250 MB but includes free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Whatsapp & Wikipedia. The rest of their plans only include free Wikipedia. Prices range from $150 for the basic plan up to $2500 for 4 GB. (Note plans have varying durations, see Digicel's website here for 4G or here for the similarly priced LTE plans). To purchase airtime, see the "Top Up" links on their website and download the MyDigicel App or Dial *120*9# to check your remaining data allotment.

    On FLOW, you will experience faster speeds in places like Kingston, where they offer DC-HSDPA (this is currently not offered outside of Kingston; LTE is only available in some areas in Kingston but the network is still in the early stages of rollout). Unlike Digicel, FLOW's network has proven to be better at load balancing as it uses two frequencies for its HSPA+ network (850 MHz and 1900 MHz) rather than the 2 850 MHz blocks that Digicel uses hence FLOW users report higher 3G retention than Digicel users. In addition, FLOW's HSPA+ network is relatively newer than Digicel's. Unfortunately however, FLOW users in those areas have not submitted any speed test data to OpenSignal but adjacent areas to Ocho Rios for example (which are rural areas, which see reduced capacity than in Ocho Rios) report similar speeds to Digicel i.e. an average of above 3.5 Mbit/s. FLOW however has absolutely no speed test data in Port Antonio however, but we do see HSPA+ showing up as being available there and in their most basic network configuration would be on par with Digicel there. On the plan side of FLOW, their most basic plan lasts for 2 days and has a 100 MB allotment that costs $100, the next plan up is a 3 day 300 MB plan (for $200) which also includes a discounted calling rate of 1.99 per minute (using per second billing) to numbers in Jamaica, USA, Canada and Landlines in the UK. Their top end plan is a 30 Day, 3 GB plan which includes a further reduced calling rate of $0.99 per minute (using per second billing) to numbers in Jamaica, USA, Canada and Landlines in the UK. This costs $1750. FLOW data plans only include free Wikipedia. FLOW data plans do however, rollover and are incredibly customizable. You can purchase a 30 day, 3 GB plan (for example) and purchase a 30 day, 1.5 GB plan and end up with a combined allotment of 4.5 GB which lasts for 30 days after the exact date and time you bought the plan with the longest duration i.e. in this case, the 1.5 GB bolt on, but the calling rate you get would be $0.99 because your 3 GB plan is active as well. You also end up getting 500 MB more than would on Digicel's top end plan (which only offers 4 GB and does not offer the same level of flexiblity as does FLOW) for 10% more than said plan. For additional information, see FLOW's prepaid plans here. To add airtime, see the "Top Up" links on the website. To activate a data plan, download the MyFLOW app or Dial *129*6#. To check your remaining data allotment, Dial *129*6*1# or use the MyFLOW app.

    Enjoy your stay in Jamaica!
    Last edited by Brandysull; Jan 4, 2017 at 07:58 AM.

  3. #3
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    Brandysull tends to go in-depth with the phone tech. Basically - if you're going to do calling a lot go with DIGICEL. If you're looking for data then go with LIME/FLOW.

    You said data so here's my take. If you're going to be in the towns mostly and main roads then LIME/FLOW. If you going be off-road or in bush - DIGICEL. The best thing to do is to ask someone that has the service in that area. Can't give you much feedback otherwise.
    Knowing the solution doesn't mean knowing the method. Yet answering correctly and regurgitation are considered "learning" and "knowledge".

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    if your going to call alot use LIME/FLOW its like 3 jamaican dollars a minute to both locally and international as oppose to digicel 10 jamaican dollars to call locally and 17 jamaican dollars to call international...

    if you need the service for data i recommend digicel 2 day plan with free whatsapp faceebook etc and 250mb cost 150 jamaican dollars and auto renew with roll over megabyte... as oppose to lime plans not even worth talking about


    when it comes signal both have there flaws.... i use both network and that is my analysis
    I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

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