Getting yourself a local SIM card when exploring Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands will save you a lot of money compared to roaming with your SIM card.
Especially if you have a SIM card from mainland USA because the big four (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint) do not operator in Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands.
Although Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are considered to be different territories, the four mobile operators on Guam cover the Northern Mariana Islands too, which is why I cover both territories in this guide.
In this article, I will go over everything you need to know about buying a SIM card in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Let's get started.
Original publication: 30th of January 2020. Last updated: 3rd of December 2020.
Can I Use My Phone in Guam & the Northern Mariana Islands?
Guam & the Northern Mariana Islands use GSM and CDMA technology for its mobile telecommunications network. CDMA is used in only a handful of countries, and devices using GSM technology are not compatible with CDMA networks and vice versa.
Guam & the Northern Mariana Island use frequencies that are primairly used in the Americas (North-, Central-, and South America + the Caribbean – ITU Region 2). However, these frequencies are not used in other regions in the world (Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania – ITU Regions 1 & 3).
by Denelson83, CC BY-SA 2.5, If you purchased your phone in Europe, Asia, Africa, or Oceania, if your device has not been unlocked, or the phone does not support Guam's & the Northern Mariana Islands frequencies, then you cannot use your phone in Guam & the Northern Mariana Islands.
Mobile Operators, Networks & Frequencies in Guam & The Northern Mariana Islands
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have four mobile operators:
All operators have 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE networks. However, IT&E used CDMA for its 2G and 3G networks, which is not compatible with GSM phones (most phones out there used GSM). Luckily, its 4G/LTE network is compatible with GSM.
The following frequencies are used in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands:
- 2G: 1900 MHz
- 3G: 850 MHz & 1900 MHz
- 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 12 & Band 17) & 1700 MHz (Band 4)
- 5G NR: Unknown (Probably 3500 MHz on n78)
Currently, only DoCoMo Pacific has a 5G network in Guam (Ypao Beach Park, Tamuning and Skinner Plaza, Hagatn & Saipan (Paseo de Marianas, Garapan). Only these devices that were purchased from DoCoMo Pacific can use the 5G NR network: Samsung Galaxy S20/S20+/S20 Ultra and LG V50.
Again, make sure your phone is unlocked. Otherwise, you will not be able to use any SIM card except the one from your home operator (meaning you have to roam internationally or buy another unlocked phone that does support the frequencies listed above).
If you want to learn how international roaming works, this guide explains it in-depth. If you wonder why it is often so expensive to roam, this article explains the hidden reason they do not want you to know.
Best SIM Card in Guam & The Northern Mariana Islands
If you want to buy a SIM card in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, I would recommend going with DoCoMo Pacific because they have the best coverage and speeds throughout Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
ALSO: Want to get an excel sheet of the best SIM cards of over 230+ destinations around the world, updated monthly? Sign up for the Phone Travel Wiz Newsletter and get the excel sheet for FREE!
SIM Card Registration Regulations in Guam & The Northern Mariana
Like most countries and territories in Oceania, you do not have to register your personal details (such as your passport details) when buying a SIM card in Guam or the Northern Marian Islands.
The State of the Telecom Market in Guam & The Northern Mariana Islands
(If you just want to learn more what the local operators have to offer, jump to the video guide or to the first operator (DoCoMo Pacific))
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands consist of multiple islands. Although both territories are connected to several submarine cables, mobile internet speeds are slow compared to other larger countries in the region.
According to Cable.co.uk, the average download speed in Guam is slightly more than 3 Mbps. However, this study had a small sample size, and one can expect higher speeds than that nowadays.
When looking at mobile data prices in Guam and the Northern Mariana, they are surprisingly cheap compared to other island nations and other nations in Oceania.
Another study done by Cable.co.uk found that the average cost of 1 GB of data in Guam is $2 and $2.65 in the Northern Mariana Islands. The world average is $5.03, and the average in Oceania is $7.85.
Currency in Guam & The Northern Mariana Islands
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands use the US Dollar with the symbol USD. Prices in Guam and the Northern Mariaia Islands are listed in $, which will be used throughout this article..
If your credit/debit card charges you foreign exchange fees, get yourself a Transferwise Borderless Account and Debit Card. Their fees are MUCH lower than banks, and credit card companies charge you (and Transferwise is transparent about their fees, unlike banks). I have saved literal THOUSANDS of Euros, my main currency, when using Transferwise abroad when traveling compared to my debit and credit cards. Open a Transferwise account FREE!
Video Guide for Buying a SIM Card in Guam & The Northern Mariana Islands
Are you a visual learner? You can watch a video about buying a SIM card in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands! It is recommended to read the remainder of the review after watching this video (I refer to this article a few times throughout the video). Otherwise, you will be missing key elements related buying a SIM card in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Also, be sure to subscribe to the channel after watching the video!
Guam & Northern Mariana Islands Prepaid SIM Cards
Below, I will guide you through DoCoMo Pacific, GTA Teleguam, iConnect Guam, and IT&E Wireless, and go through:
- Background information about the operators
- How to get a SIM card from each operator
- How to recharge your SIM card
- What type of data-featured packages are offered by the operators
With that said, let’s see what Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have to offer to us.
DoCoMo Pacific
DoCoMo Pacific has 2G, 3G, and 4G coverage on Guam, Rota, Saipan, and Tinian, making them the operator with the best coverage in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Getting a DoCoMo Pacific Prepaid SIM Card & Price
You can buy a DoCoMo Pacific SIM card, called Prepaid Starter Kit, in DoCoMo stores for $19.95, which comes with $10 in credit.
Recharging your DoCoMo Pacific SIM Card
Recharge cards are sold from $5 to $20. To top up, dial *111*VOUCHER CODE#. For example, if your voucher code is 123456, you would dial *111*123456#. You can check your balance by dialing *112*#, and you will receive a text message with your balance.
DoCoMo Pacific Internet Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers
The following DoCoMo Pacific data packs are available, which all come with unlimited calls and SMS for local use:
| Price | Data | Minutes | SMS | Validity | Activation Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.95 | 1 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1 day | HS1 |
| $7.95 | 3 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 3 days | HS3 |
| $18.95 | 7 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 7 days | HS7 |
| $35.95 | 14 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 14 days | HS14 |
You can activate the package by texting the Activation Code to 3282. For example, for the $18.95 7 GB pack, you would text HS7 to 3282 to activate it.
The packages do typically auto-renew. However, 12 hours before the package auto-renews, you will receive a text message from DoCoMo. You can text NO to the message if you do not wish to auto-renew the plan.
DoCoMo Pacific will text you when you have used 80% and 100% of your data. They will give you the option to buy more data. You have the following 4 top-ups:
- $3: 250 MB. Activation code: 1
- $6: 500 MB. Activation code: 2
- $10: 1 GB. Activation code: 3
- $25: 3 GB. Activation code: 4
To purchase any of these data top-ups, you have to reply with top up ActivationCode to 3282. For example, if you want an additional 1 GB for $10, you would reply top up 1 to the text message OR send top up 1 to 3282.
DoCoMo Visitor SIM
The DoCoMo Visitor SIM is DoCoMo's tourist SIM card. You can also buy a DoCoMo visitor SIM card for $25, and it comes with the following perks that are all valid for 7 days:
- 7 GB of high-speed data
- Unlimited local calls and SMS
- 15 international minutes to China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States
- Unlimited access to the DoCoMo WIFI hotspots on Guam
Normally, the salesperson will activate the Visitor SIM card for you. However, if that is not done for you, you have to text 7 to 8687 to activate your Visitor SIM card.
DoCoMo Pacific APN Settings
In most cases, your phone will retrieve the correct APN settings automatically. If you need to enter it manually, then you need the following details (do not add anything not mentioned below):
- Name: Docomo
- APN: internet
RELATED GUIDES:
- Buying a SIM Card in Oceania (all Oceanian countries)
- Buying a SIM Card in Fiji
- Buying a SIM Card in Australia
- Buying a SIM Card in New Zealand
- Buying a SIM Card in Samoa & American Samoa
GTA Teleguam
GTA Teleguam solely covers Guam and not any of the other islands as of yet. They have 2G, 3G, and 4G coverage on Guam, and their coverage on Guam is as good as DoCoMo Pacific.
Getting a GTA Teleguam Prepaid SIM Card & Price
GTA Teleguam prepaid SIM cards are sold for $20 in GTA stores and a few other retail stores. Top-up cards are sold from $5 to $50.
You can check your GTA Teleguam balance by dialing *488# and selecting option 1.
GTA Teleguam Internet Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers
GTA Teleguam offers several daily and monthly plans. 3 of the 4 daily plans, charged at $0.50, $1, and $2, do not come with a data allowance. Instead, you will be charged $0.10/MB (or $102.40), which is not affordable. They do, however, come with other perks, such as unlimited local SMS and unlimited minutes, but they will not be mentioned in the table below.
The following 6 plans come with data, minutes, and SMS:
| Price | Data | Minutes | SMS | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.50 | Unlimited* | 250 minutes | Unlimited | 1 day |
| $25 | 500 MB | 500 minutes | Unlimited | 30 days |
| $35 | 500 MB | 500 minutes | Unlimited | 30 days |
| $45 | 5 GB | 500 minutes | Unlimited | 30 days |
| $60 | 1 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 30 days |
| $70 | 3 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | 30 days |
* Undisclosed fair-use policy
You can activate a GTA Teleguam plan by dialing *488# and selecting option 3.
GTA Teleguam APN Settings
In most cases, your phone will retrieve the correct APN settings automatically. If you need to enter it manually, then you need the following details (do not add anything not mentioned below):
- Name: GTA
- APN: mpulse.GTA.net
iConnect Guam (formerly iConnect Advanced)
iConnect Guam, which used to be known as iConnect Advanced, is active in Guam, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Their coverage, however, is subpar compared to DoCoMo Pacific and GTA Teleguam. The main benefit of using iConnect Guam is that they have unlimited data plans for reasonable prices.
Getting an iConnect Guam Prepaid SIM Card & Price
iConnect Guam SIM cards are sold for $15 in IConnect Guam stores. Recharge cards are sold from $5 to $20.
iConnect Guam Internet Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers
IConnect Guam’s data plans come with unlimited data and an undisclosed fair-use policy, meaning that your speed may be throttled after consuming a set amount of data. The following packages can be added:
| Price | Data | Unlimited Calls & SMS | Validity | Auto-Renews? | Activation Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1.50 | Unlimited | Yes | 1 day | Yes | DATADAY ON |
| $2.25 | Unlimited | No | 1 day | Yes | ALLIN ON |
| $10 | Unlimited | No | 7 days | No | DATAWEEK ON |
| $35 | Unlimited | No | 30 days | No | DATAMONTH ON |
You can activate your iConnect Guam pack by texting the activation code to 500. For example, if you want to buy the $10 pack for unlimited data for 7 days, you would text DATAWEEK ON to 500.
The daily plans do auto-renew at 3 AM. If you want to terminate the auto-renewal, you would text DATADAY OFF or ALLIN OFF to 500 for the $1.50 & $2.25 plans, respectively.
iConnect Guam APN Settings
In most cases, your phone will retrieve the correct APN settings automatically. If you need to enter it manually, then you need the following details (do not add anything not mentioned below):
- Name: iConnect
- APN: ican OR internet
IT&E Wireless
IT&E Wireless, just IT&E, has a hybrid network of CDMA- and GSM-technology. Their 2G and 3G networks run on CDMA, while their 4G/LTE network uses GSM, which is what most phones in the world use.
Before considering going with IT&E, be aware that your phone needs to support US-frequencies, which is 700 MHz on Band 12 (check this site to find out if your phone supports this frequency).
Furthermore, if 4G/LTE is not available, you will not be able to use your phone at all because of the CDMA network. IT&E, however, does have reasonably priced packages, which is why I will still mention them in this article.
Getting an IT&E Wireless Prepaid SIM Card & Price
IT&E SIM cards are sold for $20 in IT&E stores, and they come with $10 in credit. Recharge cards are sold from $5 to $20, which can be purchased online (in Guam/The Mariana Islands only – VPNs will not work, I tried).
Recharging your IT&E SIM Card
To top-up, text LOAD VoucherCode to 2931. For example, if your voucher code is 123456, you would text LOAD 123456 to 2931. You can check your IT&E balance by dialing *87#.
IT&E Wireless Internet Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers
IT&E has daily and weekly prepaid plans, which are combo plans that come with data, unlimited local minutes, unlimited long-distance calls to the US, and unlimited local SMS. The following 4 prepaid plans are available:
| Price | Data | Unlimited Local Talk & Text? | Unlimited Long-Distance Talk to the US? | Validity | Activation Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1.50 | 100 MB | Yes | No, $0.20/min | 24 hours | Plan 100 MB |
| $2 | 200 MB | Yes | Yes | 24 hours | Plan 200 MB |
| $2.50 | Unlimited* | Yes | Yes | 24 hours | Plan 1 GB |
| $12 | 200 MB | Yes | No | 7 days | Plan 7D |
* Undisclosed fair-use policy. Based on the activation code, I assume it is 1 GB.
To activate an IT&E Wireless plan, you text the activation code to 3282. For example, if you want to buy the $2 200 MB pack, you would text Plan 200 MB to 3282.
Do note that all plans auto-renew. To cancel auto-renewal, text CANCEL to 3282.
If you are out of data, you can buy more data:
- $1: 100 MB. Activation code: 100MB to 3282
- $10: 1 GB. Activation code: 1GB to 3282
IT&E Wireless Hafa Adai SIM Card (Tourist SIM Card)
The Hafa Adia SIM card is IT&E Wireless's tourist SIM card. It costs $20 for 4 days or $30 for 7 days. Hafa Aida SIM cards come with unlimited data and unlimited local calls and SMS. Additionally, you get $10 in credit for international calls. These SIM cards will automatically be deactivated once they expire and cannot be renewed.
IT&E Wireless APN Settings
In most cases, your phone will retrieve the correct APN settings automatically. If you need to enter it manually, then you need the following details (do not add anything not mentioned below):
- Name: IT&E
- APN: prepaid.ite.net
RELATED GUIDES
- Buying a SIM Card in Papua New Guinea
- Buying a SIM Card in Micronesia
- Buying a SIM Card in French Polynesia
- Buying a SIM Card in Palau
- Buying a SIM Card in Tonga
Other Ways to Stay Connected When Traveling in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands
Besides getting a local SIM card in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, there are other ways to get online while traveling on these islands. However, these methods may be more expensive than getting a SIM card from the four local operators.
International Roaming
International roaming is the most convenient way to stay connected when traveling in other countries because you do not have to buy a new SIM card, have to deal with SIM card registration regulations, nor have multiple phone numbers to deal with.
However, international roaming has proven to be expensive in many cases, especially compared to buying local SIM cards. That is why many travelers are not fond of international roaming.
International roaming has its pros and cons. However, it is important to know how it works. This in-depth guide explains it all.
Find out whether your mobile operator has attractive roaming rates for Guam and the Northern Mariana islands here.
Using an International SIM Card or Travel SIM Card
International SIM cards are SIM cards made for the traveler in mind. Using them is often cheaper than international roaming. However, they are almost always more expensive than using a local SIM card.
There are many other advantages and disadvantages of getting international SIM cards, which you can learn about here.
Using a Mobile Hotspot (Pocket WIFI)
Mobile hotspots, or pocket WIFI, are small devices that connect to the local operators of the country you are visiting. Mobile hotspots are ideal for families or those traveling in a large group, as they allow you to connect multiple devices to one hotspot without the need of each traveler having to buy a SIM card.
You can either buy a mobile hotspot or rent one.
Using Free WIFI Networks
Using free WIFI connections is the cheapest way to stay connected because they are free. The major downside of trying to use WIFI hotspots is that you will have to locate them, and they are not available on every corner in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Make sure to protect your internet traffic with a VPN so that hackers cannot steal your personal data.
The Preferred Way to Stay Connected When Traveling in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands
Getting a SIM card from DoCoMo Pacific (best coverage and fastest speeds) would do you well when considering a Guam or Northern Mariana Islands SIM card.
Local Prepaid SIM Cards in Other Oceanian Countries
Visiting other countries in Oceania? Check out my Oceanian SIM card buying guide covering the other Oceanian destinations, such as:
- Nauru
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Niue
- Norfolk Island
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
Going to other places around the world? Then you should also check out my sim card buying guides for other destinations around the world.
Next Steps to Enhance Your Travel Experiences
Looking for the next steps to enhance your phone travel experiences? Here is what to do:
Check Out My Resource Page
Looking for the best companies and gadgets to enhance your travel experience? Check out my travel resources page for the best companies to use when you travel! Save money with international SIM cards, on plane tickets, bus rides, cruises, and accommodation. Besides that, I also list services and items I use to make my life easier – and I believe they will help you too!
Start Your Own Online Business – Make Money While Traveling
Do you want to learn how I started an online business that allows me to generate income while traveling? In my starting an online business guide, I tell you which tools, services, and products I have for this site and my YouTube channel. If I can start a business about something I am passionate about (phone travel), then you can do it too!
Learn About Your Phone Travel Options
You can buy local prepaid SIM cards, international SIM cards, mobile hotspots, or roam internationally. Each of these options has its pros and cons. Learn more about them, and find the best option for you.
Phone Travel Tips, Tricks & Hacks
I have written many articles with tips and hacks to save money on mobile costs while abroad. You surely want to check them out!
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