Bmobile(TSTT) vs Digicel

Update Jan 2018 - Both providers are about on par. In my experience and the people around me experience about the same level of service from both providers.

Update Feb 2015- The quality of Digicel calls suffers sometimes with an echo or static, but if you hang up and call again it is usually better. They are still the winner.


July 2014 - Digicel has blocked some VOIP apps including Fring, Viber, WhatsApp. The issue is currently being discussed and I expect it to allowed very soon because of the public pressure to allow it. http://www.digiceltrinidadandtobago.com/en/about/news/public-advisory-digicel-tt-to-block-unlicenced-voip-providers
As a work around, there are other apps like Skype and Google chat which still work or using wifi allows the blocked apps to work. This has now been reverted.

(Update March 2014 - Digicel is still the winner. The promotions are continuously changing but reception and reliability beat more money to spend and no reception to use it.)

Lower rates, more promotions, and best of all better reception and fewer dropped calls!

Bmobile now advertises some of their plans as unlimited but as with all plans there actually are limits. 

Per second billing applies for both providers. The cheapest postpaid plan from Digicel is $350 per month which is ridiculous. While the plan itself may be good, it does not cater for users with light monthly usage who want to be postpaid. Some are now forced to switch to Bmobile or go prepaid with Digicel. 

The cheapest Bmobile plan is $111.38 per month. 

Prepaid

       Bmobile                                                          Digicel

$1.24/min VAT incl (link)                                           $1.29/min VAT incl (link)

Postpaid

Bmobile (link)                

$111.38 VAT incl (Everything Lite $99.00)

Unlimited Local Text Messages with our Everything Lite Plan
250 local minutes
250 MB
Unlimited local Text Messages
Out of Plan Rate (VAT Exclusive):
Rate Per Local Minute $0.65

                                           

$336.38 VAT incl (Everything $299)

4GB Data
Unlimited bmobile nights & weekends, local landline & 500 local minutes
50 minutes international calls
Unlimited text messages
25 minutes voice roaming
25MB data roaming

Digicel (link)

$336.38 VAT incl (cheapest plan)

6GB Data

Unlimited Digicel, 300 anywhere mins

Unlimited WhatsApp messaging and worldwide SMS

D'Music subscription

You can compare the rates yourself at www.bmobile.co.tt and www.digiceltt.com. There are various promotions so a certain promotion may suit you more, but consider all aspects of the plans before choosing. The free after 3 promotion in Digi is no longer available. quite outstanding as it gives you up to 30 minutes for the price of 3 to any local number other TnT Digicel number at any time. Bmobile gives free calls to 5 numbers you have to request to be put on a list.

Digicel uses the 850/1900 mhz GSM bands while Bmobile uses the 1800 mhz band exclusively  has switched to 850 mhz also mid 2012. The lower frequency used means signals can penetrate solid objects better and provide reception in more areas than the higher frequencies. 

Both offer you the ability to check your usage details easily. 

DIGICEL
There are free checks you can make via *120# for your total credit/usage for prepaid/postpaid,

*120*1# OR *120*10# remaining minutes depending on your plan(postpaid)

*120*2# for your bundled text messages remaining (postpaid)

*129# to get your own phone number of the sim card currently in the handset.

There are others but the only one Bmobile offers is to check the total credit on prepaid phones. It is ridiculous when you go to buy a new phone and sim in Bmobile and they have to call another phone and check the caller ID to confirm your phone number.  

Digicel lets you check your voice mail for free.
Prepaid credit expires 6 months after topping up.
 

BMOBILE
Dial *121# to check your remaining postpaid pricing plan minutes and rollover minutes.

Bmobile charges you each time you check voice mail on prepaid. Prepaid credit expires 4 months after topping up.

There are fewer dropped calls on Digicel and you do not have the very common problem of placing a call and hearing it ringing although the handset itself is really not. Bmobile has had this problem since at least 2010 and it has not improved. I have attended one of their road shows early 2012 and they tried calling a cell number of a person in the room and only the third number called got the handset ringing! This happened in both the morning and evening sessions of the roadshow. I am not sure why they did not just announce the winning cell number by mouth. When I mentioned this problem of handsets not actually ringing I was answered with laughs and head shaking by Bmobile officials. 

There are more dead spots with zero reception on the Bmobile network as the cell towers were initially being placed where communities were instead of optimized locations for proper coverage. They have filled in a lot of the gaps as you now see two cell towers very close to each other, one for each provider in many areas as they refuse to share towers. Ask any regular hiker what network they use. The city/town areas do have good reception but with crowded areas you get more network contention and in my experience Digicel is not overwhelmed as easily.

Only Digicel give you a free SMS with the phone number and time that called you if your handset is switched off or you were out of reception. You would not know you have any missed calls on Bmobile. Bmobile offered this service for a very short time at the end of 2012.


You can unsubscribe from Digicel info texts (their various promos and contests, spam) that is sent out to everyone. By default everyone is registered to receive it from both providers but you can choose to stop it by calling in to 100 and making the request on Digicel. You do not have this option on Bmobile.

By default you get a detailed Digicel bill showing every call made for postpaid on Digicel. You can even have paper bills stopped and view bills online only. This saves paper and gas for transport. You have to go in to a Bmobile branch and request a detailed bill that will be emailed to you for free in 24-48 hours on Bmobile and you cannot sign up for e-bills only.

One useful feature from Bmobile is their 'Bligh' feature that gives you $10 credit if your prepaid total goes below $2 and you repay the $10 plus a $1 service charge the next time you top up.Take note that you are only allowed one Bligh at a time and you are charged for each request you make. If you are using a Bligh and you make a second request you will have to pay back $10+$1+$1 now.

Comparison of 4g plans

Do not take my word for it, for all the info go to www.digiceltt.com and www.bmobile.co.tt

Please click an ad to support this blog if this was helpful.

Updated: 6 Jan 2018