Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

Trina · 2010-11-14 02:58:51

Hello everyone,

I will be in Senegal for about one month and would like to bring my laptop along. Is there wireless internet in Dakar? I will actually be staying in Golf. If so, how does it work?

Also, I will be back and forth between Senegal and Guinea. Is there a cell phone that I can purchase that will work in both countries? If so how much should I expect to spend on the phone itself?

Thanks.

regla · 2010-11-14 08:42:58

Hi Trina,

No problem on laptops or cell phones. There are many cyber cafes with internet connection.

You can buy a phone that has a double space for SIM cards. I believe you can put the senegal number on one and the other the guinean number. You then buy a "card" in different monetary denominations and add to that number.

Regards,

Regina

Thebigtuna · 2010-11-14 15:54:39

Hi there Trina. Unlike how it is in the US, in most countries of the world cell phones are bought on their own and can be used with any service provider. As a matter of fact in most countries service providers don't offer service on a contract basis to begin with (let alone provide you with a locked phone at a discount/for free as part of the contract).

Basically, in most third world countries the only system you will find is prepaid. How it works is you buy your phone, then buy something called a SIM card from the service provider. This is a tiny piece of plastic with a chip inside that fits in a slot in your phone (usually the slot is under the battery). You then go and buy yourself some credit.
You go to a supermarket or someplace (you can buy it almost anywhere) and ask for phone credit, and after handing over the money you get this card with a silver stripe on it which you then scratch off to get a code underneath. Based on the instructions on the card you call a certain number and input the code you got, and whatever amount of minutes the card is worth gets deposited in your account. Whenever you make a call, text, etc. you lose balance, until finally it falls to nothing and you need to buy another (or many) minutes cards and add more balance to your account.

If you're going to be going back and forth between two different countries then all you need to do is visit the cellular providers in both countries and buy a SIM card from each. Whenever you're going from one country to the other all you need to do is turn off your phone and swap out the SIM cards.

As to how much phones cost, they aren't too expensive. Prices range from around 40-60 dollars for a basic Nokia with a black and white display (depending on the country - I have no idea about prices in Senegal), to 150-200 for a decent 3G smartphone with a 2 MP camera, to 300-700 dollars for the high end Nokia models. You can also find Samsung and LG phones but they suck. Nokia phones are not only better feature-wise but they are very tough. My phone has survived multiple drops of up to five feet without anything happening to it.

Trina · 2010-11-14 16:55:07

Thanks Big Tuna.

I actually tried to do this whole phone thing the last time I was in Senegal and Guinea. I purchased a phone in Dakar but was unable to use it at all in Guinea. I was not able to use a SIMM card from Guinea on the phone. I was trying to avoid having that happen again.

Thebigtuna · 2010-11-14 21:58:20

Hmmm. Well to the best of my knowledge that simply should not happen at all. Did you try popping the SIM card in another phone (like one from Guinea) and seeing if it would work? Cause as far as I know the only reason would be a problem with the SIM card. Either it was defective or blank when you first got it or it got erased by being put next to a magnet.

Trina · 2010-11-15 02:38:46

I actually didn't do anything myself. All of my "helpful" male in-laws handled it. Maybe I will take care of my cell phone needs myself since I have a better idea of how things work.

Thebigtuna · 2010-11-15 10:18:16

Haha well good luck. By the way, about the wireless internet... I'm pretty sure you won't be able to find that in either country. IF the cellular network is 3G then there will probably internet access offered by the cellular company, so you can hook your phone up to the laptop and use the internet through the phone.
The prices will be by the megabyte, and likely too expensive.

I'd look into getting DSL at where you'll be staying, or just taking your laptop to an internet cafe and having them hook it up for you.

Last edited by Thebigtuna (2010-11-15 10:22:47)

Thebigtuna · 2010-11-15 10:29:39

One of the interesting things about the internet here in Libya is that the country went straight from primitive early 2000s DSL (only available to rich people and at internet cafes, where it was made even slower by the number of people sharing the connection) to wimax. The main reason the telecom company here deployed wimax is that DSL works over phone lines, which is something that very few houses have.
So I don't know, but there's a tiny chance you might find wimax available.

blunder1954 · 2013-02-18 23:34:54

my fiance in Dakar suburb is paying 300 euros a month for her internetconnection...it sounds very expensive! Isnt there less costly alternatives?

MarcLuc · 2013-03-16 18:37:38

Yes you will find what you need ! Not everywhere but you will get there

blunder1954 · 2013-03-23 18:34:40

anyone knows how to access not so costly internetconnection in Dakar. i pay for wife s connection, 300 euros a month...its too f****ng much!!!

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Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

#1 2010-11-14 02:58:51

Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

#2 2010-11-14 08:42:58

Re: Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

#3 2010-11-14 15:54:39

Re: Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

#4 2010-11-14 16:55:07

Re: Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

#5 2010-11-14 21:58:20

Re: Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

#6 2010-11-15 02:38:46

Re: Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

#7 2010-11-15 10:18:16

Re: Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

#8 2010-11-15 10:29:39

Re: Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

#9 2013-02-18 23:34:54

Re: Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

#10 2013-03-16 18:37:38

Re: Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

#11 2013-03-23 18:34:40

Re: Wireless Internet & Cell Phone in Senegal

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