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Using a Cell Phone on Cape Cod

by Caroline
(London, UK)

Question: We are a family of 10 visiting the Cape very soon and staying in Brewster. Just wondering whether it would be worthwhile to buy US sims to use in our UK cell phones to enable us to keep in touch with each other whilst on vacation.

We've heard that cell phone reception is very 'patchy' and we don't want to waste money if so. Can you advise please?

Dee's Reply: Hello Caroline -

That's a great question!

It is true that cell phone service can be a bit patchy on Cape Cod.

The odd thing is that the patchy-ness is kind of hit-and-miss. By that I mean that there are no well-defined areas with limited or no connectivity.

Instead, what I've found is that there are small pockets here and there where you won't be able to get cell service. But often, if you walk just 20 feet in a different direction, the service will be just fine.

The only cell phone services that I've used on here on Cape Cod are Verizon and AT&T. In my experience, Verizon's service tends to be more reliable Cape-wide than AT&T's.

Never having bought a US SIM card for a foreign phone, I'm not familiar with exactly how they operate, which cell phone companies offer US SIM cards for UK phones, and what the SIM cards cost. So I can't really advise you on those details.

I'd say your best option would probably be to check with your UK carrier, and get their advice about using your UK phones here in the US.

If you find it cost prohibitive to buy US SIMs for your UK phones, then you might consider buying several inexpensive pre-paid US cell phones to use while you're here. They're available at big discount stores like Walmart and K-Mart and at many pharmacies and convenience stores.

I hope this info helps. Enjoy your visit to Cape Cod!!

Best Regards,

Dee

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