Telephone & Internet

MoneyGram MoneyGram has eight locations on Grand Cayman and two on Cayman Brac. It offers a fast and secure way to send money. Tel: (345) 945 5616.

Western Union Western Union is located in the four Foster’s Supermarkets in Grand Cayman and L M Superstore in Cayman Brac.

COMMUNICATIONS

Cayman’s sophisticated tourism and financial industries have ensured that telecommunications are as advanced as those you would find in any developed country. Options for mobile and residential phone services, and high speed internet connections (via fixed lines and through mobile data), are available across all three Islands. In 2016 amendments to the Information and Communications Technology Authority Act gave regulators the power to fine phone, TV and internet providers up to CI$50,000 for violations to their licenses, such as not providing internet speeds that are advertised to customers. This has been great for consumers as it ensures reliability.

Choosing the right provider will depend both on the services available in your area and your personal usage. Bundled options from the same provider can result in significant discounts.

It is worth noting, however, that due to the small population of the Islands, the cost of broadband and residential and mobile phone services tend to be quite a bit higher than in Europe and North America.

TELEPHONE SERVICES Every provider in the Cayman Islands must be able to provide local and long distance telephone services. All the mobile phone providers offer an international direct dialling service and depending on your plan rate, prices are often comparable to those for fixed lines. Mobile phone service options are varied and there are choices to suit any need, including voice, mobile data, text messaging and voicemail.

The mobile providers in the Cayman Islands are Digicel and FLOW. Internet services are available from all four

providers: Logic, FLOW, Digicel and C3 Pure Fibre. High speed fibre optic cables and networks are increasing in availability, with Logic, FLOW and C3 providing even higher internet speeds to homes in Grand Cayman than previously possible. Standalone and bundled internet and VoIP options are available, and in some instances discounts are offered for taking more than one service.

Residential phone service choices are plenty with installation times varying 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 line installed, check directly with your provider to confirm the expected time of installation.

Overview of Local & Long Distance Telephone Services Logic and C3 Pure Fibre offer phone services which allow users to make calls at home using an internet connection rather than traditional fixed lines.

Logic’s Chatterboxservice works with any internet provider and gives you unlimited international calls for a fixed monthly fee. Several monthly plans are available, depending on which countries you call the most. For those who want family or friends to be able to call them in Cayman without having to pay for overseas calls, the Chatterbox International Numbers mean Cayman residents can be reached on a US, UK or other country number.

FLOW provides consumers with residential phones that use fixed landlines. They offer three home phone plans: Residential, Home 500 and Home 800. All three packages have a monthly line rental charge with the difference occurring in free local call minutes and discounts on international calls. MOBILE SERVICES Two mobile service providers operate in the Cayman Islands: Digicel and FLOW. Both companies offer prepaid options (or pay-as-you-go top up and plans), as well as postpaid plans (billed per month). Plans typically include voice calls and text messaging, and most also include a certain number of international calls (anywhere minutes) and data allowance.

Most residents have Android or iOS smartphone devices. FLOW and Digicel both use 4G LTE technology – so mobile internet speeds are as fast as you will find anywhere in the world.

The MyDigicel and MyFlow apps enable customers to view and pay their bills with postpaid, or top up credit with prepaid phones, as well as activate a number of addon plans, such as reduced international calling rates, roaming and data plans. The MyDigicel app also grants weekly rewards to users through customer loyalty programmes.

Prepaid Mobile Services The advantage of prepaid mobile phones is that there is no contract, no monthly fee and no deposit required.

Prepaid SIM cards can be purchased from Digicel and FLOW stores, as well as from other retailers, such as supermarkets and gas stations. If you have an unlocked phone, all you need to do is purchase the SIM card, put it in your phone, add calling credit with a plan and start calling. Credit can be added (also known as topping up) at the same locations, as well as at some ATMs, online and through the mobile service providers’ apps.

The disadvantage of prepaid phones is that the per minute rates are higher than for postpaid plans. Local calls cost 20 to 45 cents per minute depending on the time of day and on whether you are calling numbers within your network, or fixed and mobile numbers outside the network. You may purchase calling plans for prepaid to save on regular calling rates.

The prepaid credit can be used for making calls, using mobile data or for texting. You

Postpaid Mobile Services You will usually be required to sign a contract for 12 or 24 months with a postpaid plan. These are easy to set up – you just need to take along ID, a proof of address, and a deposit – and there is a choice of plans allowing customers to choose the one that best fits their needs.

Postpaid plans are paid monthly and start at around CI$100 at FLOW and CI$60 at Digicel, and both include a basic allocation of minutes, text messages and data allowance.

Contracts often include a discount on handsets and the cost of the phone can usually be spread out over the course of the contract.

As there is no such thing as credit rating systems in the Cayman Islands, you will need to put down a deposit, typically CI$100-CI$200, if you choose a postpaid plan.

FLOW currently offers unlimited plans which include limitless data, WhatsApp, local texts and minutes as well as an allowance of international minutes and free incoming calls whilst roaming. Customers who have broadband receive a discount on their unlimited mobile plan.

Digicel offers several Postpaid plans, available on a contract as well as a variety of Prepaid Plans on a 1, 7 or 30 day term. All Digicel plans include an allocation of Anywhere Minutes, Unlimited Digicel to Digicel calls, SMS and Free Data to use with any of the Digicel apps. Digicel also offers rich data allowances, all of which come with unlimited rollover.

Handsets It is worth noting that if you bring a mobile phone with you from overseas when you move to Cayman, it will not necessarily work here. It all depends on the frequency used: Cayman mobile providers use GSM, HSPA and LTE technology. It is a good idea to check with your provider prior to moving to find out if your phone will

be compatible, if you are free of contract obligations, and if your phone is unlocked. As a general rule, European phones will use the same frequency, but phones from CDMA carriers in the US and Canada will not.

Mobile phones can be unlocked locally at Cellular World, in the Bay Town Plaza, opposite The Wharf Restaurant on West Bay Road. They charge between CI$45$65 depending on the phone but they cannot unlock FLOW iPhones without a code from FLOW. They can also repair mobile phones and replace cracked screens on iPads. For more information call them on (345) 943 2355 or email: repairs@ cellshop.ky.

FLOW and Digicel sell a wide range of new handsets, some of which will be discounted. Purchasing a handset from one of the mobile providers on-Island is much more advisable as their selection of phones are set up to work best on the networks here, and you will get a warranty as well as access to authorized repair services.

Roaming All mobile phone providers offer worldwide roaming, so that you can make and receive calls while travelling on your Cayman number. These calls fall outside your monthly plan allocation, meaning that you will be billed at much higher rates than at home for both outgoing and incoming calls and text messages, as overseas networks charge higher rates for visiting users.

To enable frequent (and not so frequent) travelling, both Digicel and FLOW offer

Dialling Codes

To the Cayman Islands

From the UK: 001 + 345 + number From the USA: 1 + 345 + number

From the Cayman Islands

To the Caribbean: 1 + Country Code + number To the USA & Canada: 1 + Area Code + number To the UK: 011 + 44 + number Rest of the world: 011 + Country Code + number roaming plans. Digicel roaming bundles provide customers valuable features including roaming to specific countries, free incoming calls and texts and an allowance of data and minutes to use while roaming. Bundles can be activated just before departure, and are usually valid for a specific period of time. To choose your roaming bundle, please review the plans available on the Digicel website.

INTERNET AT HOME Logic, FLOW, Digicel and C3 all offer home-based internet plans with unlimited usage. Generally, the upload speeds offered by all four providers are very high. The higher the upload speed, the better the performance for downloading data, playing online games and streaming content. Logic offers download speeds as high as 500Mbps. Fibre optic installation is on-going, so how far the different fibre optic networks extend is constantly changing. Research what kind of coverage each provider has in your area.

Fibre Optic (+TV) Logic, FLOW and C3 have all been busy over the past three years installing fibre optic cables so much of the Island can enjoy consistent superfast broadband speeds. As fibre optic cables allow such consistently fast download speeds, all three providers offering fibre optic broadband now also offer TV packages. The choice of channels will vary according to the provider but is generally based on US programming with add-on packages available for those who may want specific channels such as Hispanic, Filipino, sports or movies (see TV section for more information). Purchasing Internet and TV as a bundle will often be more economical than purchasing the two separately.

Internet Providers At the time of writing, Logic’s fibre optic network was available in West Bay, the Seven Mile Beach area, George Town, South Sound, Prospect, Savannah and Bodden Town. Logic hopes to have extended to cover the whole of Grand Cayman in the near future. Logic has recently increased their speeds to offer 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, 200 and 500mbps of fiber optic plans where available. Residential plans start from CI$65 per month, up to CI$255 with no contract. Logic TV, with anywhere from 25 to 144 channels, plus the ability to add on packages, is also available in fibre areas. Elsewhere, traditional cable TV is offered, with up to 53 channels. Installation takes approximately 5-10 days.

FLOW has replaced much of their copper wires across Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac with fibre optics. Packages are offered to suit different needs and household sizes, from 10Mbps to 200Mbps. FLOW’s superfast broadband customers can access a range of FLOW TV packages, plus choose additional channels and enjoy HD entertainment. TV packages include US and Latin American programming plus Video on Demand content. You can receive a free demo online at www.discoverflow.ky or by visiting a FLOW retail store.

C3 Pure Fibre offers a selection of fibre optic-based services. C3 Pure Fibre serves both residential and business customers with WiFi internet, TV, phone and IP services. Internet streaming and high-speed internet. For more information visit www. c3.ky or call (345) 333 3333.

Digicel broadband for business and residential customers is available through their LTE network, offering internet of up to 50Mbps download speeds across all three Islands. Their pool of expert resources, robust network, and cutting edge technologies all work together to provide you with efficient connection for your business and personal needs.

Internet on the Go It’s very easy to stay connected while on the move in Cayman. Depending on your phone, you may be able to create a hotspot through which other devices can connect to the Internet using your phone’s mobile data. Although the 4G LTE technology means connecting is fast, it can become an expensive option.

C3 Pure Fibre 409 Walkers Road, George Town. MondayFriday 9am-4pm, Saturdays 9am-1pm Customer Service: (345) 333 3333 Email: info@c3.ky www.c3.ky or https://business.c3.ky

Digicel Retail Stores > 45 Market Street, Camana Bay Monday and Wednesday-Saturday 9am-6pm, Tuesday 10am-6pm > Waterfront, 72 North Church Street, George Town. Monday-Saturday 9am-4pm > Countryside Shopping Village. Monday-Friday 10am-7pm, Saturday 9am-6pm > Corporate office: Cayman Technology Centre, 115 Printer Way. Monday-Friday 8am to 5pm Corporate office: (345) 623 3444 Customer Care from Digicel mobile: 100 Business Customers: (345) 623 2499

SEE AD PAGES 83 & 135

FLOW’s Retail Locations: > Galleria Plaza, West Bay Road. Monday-Friday 9am-5.30pm, Saturday 9am-4pm > Countryside Shopping Village. Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 10am-5pm > Stake Bay, Cayman Brac. Monday-Thursday 9am-4.30pm, Friday 9am-4pm > WhatsApp Virtual Store (345) 925 3569 To make an appointment to visit Customer Care, call (345) 949 7800 or Local Customer Care on (345) 747 5050 Customer Service Email: cay-flowhelp@cwc. com Main Office: (345) 949 7800

Logic > Governors Square, West Bay Road. MondayFriday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-1pm > Logic Main Retail Centre (off Eastern Avenue, behind Rankin’s plaza), George Town. MondayFriday 8.30am-5.30pm Tel: (345) 745 5555 Customer Support Line: Monday-Friday 8.30am-8.30pm, Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 11am-3pm Email: support@logic.ky or fibre@logic.ky

www.logic.ky SEE AD THIS PAGE Cellular World Bay Town Plaza, West Bay Road Tel: (345) 943 2355 Cellular World can repair and unlock many brands of mobile phones and tablets.

iShop4u Bayshore Mall, 31 South Church Street, GT Tel: (345) 928 3696 Offers repairs for most models of phones, tablets and digital watches from Apple, Samsung, Google Pixel and Alcatel.

TELEVISION

Local residents can enjoy international programming through cable, satellite and broadband. There are also three free local over-the-air TV stations which can be received in all households as long as the TV has an antenna. These are: Trinity Broadcast Network (channel 21 and Logic TV), CIGTV, the government channel (channel 23 and Logic TV) and the Seventh Day Adventist Network

Contact us about our Fibre Internet and TV Options today! Your life connected.

Fibre Internet and TV | Wireless TV | Phone 745.5555 | www.logic.ky