Guyana – known for being the only (official) English-speaking country in South America.
The country is also known for its rainforests, the blend of multiple cultures & its natural resources.
But there is also a lot to see and to do in Guyana.
You could see the Kaieteur Falls with your own eyes.
You can also explore many cathedrals and churches, like the St. George's Cathedral.
And, of course, you can enjoy your time on the beach, such as the Shell Beach.
Honestly, there is no reason to be bored in Guyana.
You should know that Guyana is expensive compared to other South American countries, so any way to save some cash is always appreciated.
That is why you should use local SIM cards to enjoy local rates, like a Guyanese one.
Fortunately, SIM cards are not too expensive in Guyana.
You can get a Guyanese SIM card for 2000 GYD (9.60 USD) from Digicel and GTT in theor stores or from SIM vendors, such as grocery stores, pharmacies & electronic shops. SIM cards are also available at Georgetown/Timehri-Cheddi Jagan International Airport (Digicel only).
Okay, those SIM cards are not cheap at all, especially not for South American standards.
What will probably upset you, even more, is that Guyana is the country with the most expensive mobile data rates in South America (if we exclude the Falkland Islands).
Still, these rates will still be cheaper than international roaming!
In this guide, I will tell you everything you need to know about buying a SIM card in Guyana. Let's get started.
Original publication: 28th of December 2019. Last updated: 24th of December 2021.
Table of Contents
Can You Buy a SIM Card in Guyana?
Anyone living in or visiting Guyana can buy a Guyanese SIM card from Digicel and GTT in their stores or from resellers (SIM vendors) without any restrictions.
You do have to comply with the SIM card registration regulations.
Moreover, your phone has to support the frequencies used in Guyana.
Finally, your phone needs to be unlocked (SIM-lock free) to use a Guyanese SIM card.
Where Can You Buy a SIM Card in Guyana
You can get a Guyanese SIM card in the official stores of Digicel and GTT (formerly Cellink Plus) and select third-party stores (also called SIM vendors). It is also possible to get a SIM card at Georgetown/Timehri-Cheddi Jagan International Airport (Digicel only).
You can expect to pay the following for Guyanese SIM cards:
- Digicel Guyana: 2000 GYD
- GTT (formerly Cellink Plus): 2000 GYD
Can You Use Your Phone in Guyana?
Guyana uses GSM technology for mobile communications primarily. CDMA phones will not work in Guyana. However, almost all phones use GSM anyway.
You also need to be aware of the ITU regions to determine whether your phone will work in other parts of the world.
Although there are three ITU regions, you only need to know these two terms: American Frequencies and European Frequencies.
Guyana uses American Frequencies, which are used in the Americas (North-, Central, and South America + the Caribbean – ITU Region 2).
Phones sold in the Americas typically have no issues when using their phone in other ITU Region 2 countries.
In Africa, Asia (including the Middle East), Europe, and Oceania (ITU Regions 1 & 3), they typically use European Frequencies, meaning phones bought in those regions can be used in countries using European Frequencies without issues.
If you purchased your phone in the Americas (ITU Region 2), you should not experience any issues with using your phone in Guyana.
If you bought your phone in Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania (ITU regions 1 & 3) and have a low/medium-end device without Tri-Band or Quad-Band support, then there is a possibility you cannot use your phone when in Guyana or can only use slower networks (3G or 2G).
If you have a medium/high-end device with Tri-Band or Quad-Band support, you can use your phone in Guyana (to some extent) – also on 4G/LTE.
Mobile Operators, Networks & Frequencies in Guyana
Guyana has two mobile operators offering prepaid services:
- Digicel Guyana
- GTT(+) (formerly Cellink Plus)
The following frequencies are used in Guyana:
- 2G: 900 MHz
- 3G: 850 MHz
- 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 17 & Band 28)
You can learn more about frequencies in the video below.
To check whether your phone will work in Guyana, check out this page by Will My Phone Work (may be outdated or inaccurate at times).
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.
5G NR in Guyana
5G NR is not available in Guyana as of 2022, and the Guyanese government has not made any indications of when it will auction 5G licenses.
Best SIM Card in Guyana
If you want to buy the best SIM card in Guyana, I recommend going with Digicel or GTT. Digicel has (slightly) better (4G/LTE) coverage than GTT. GTT offers more plan choices than Digicel.
Best eSIM in Guyana
Unfortunately, none of the mobile operators offer eSIM (to prepaid customers) in Guyana yet.
However, you can get the Guyana (Gucom) from Airalo with 1 GB of data valid for 7 days.
With this eSIM, you can skip Guyana's SIM card registration scheme entirely and use it immediately upon arriving in Guyana!
SIM Card Registation in Guyana
SIM card registration, with the use of your passport information, is mandatory in Guyana. This will be done at the point of sale.
Guyana Mobile Internet Prices & Insights
South America is known for being a relatively inexpensive travel region.
However, as I said in the intro, Guyana is a bit of an exception – things are more expensive there than most other South American nations.
So, how expensive is mobile data in Guyana?
The average price for 1 GB of data in Guyana is 5.25 USD, above the South American average of 1.97 USD. The world average is 4.07 USD.
But you might have noticed something weird in the image above… the Falkland Islands – what is going there?
Long story short for now (but you can learn more about it in the Falkland Islands SIM card buying guide), but anyone living there is being scammed by the local mobile operator.
If I included the Falkland Islands‘ figures in the South American average, the average cost of data would be 5.25 USD instead of 1.97 USD.
So yeah, I do not include it in the average.
Normally, I show you some data about mobile data speeds about the particular country I am covering.
Unfortunately, there is not much aggregate data about mobile download and upload speeds in Guyana.
I can say, however, is that mobile data speeds are slow in the country.
That is because of the slow rollout of 4G/LTE (Digicel Guyana only launched its 4G/LTE network in February 2021 – GTT started back in late 2019).
Why did it take Digicel so long to get started with 4G/LTE in Guyana while it had 4G/LTE in even more remote countries in Oceania?
That is probably because the Guyanese government protected GTT's monopoly (in the fixed-line market) for more than 30 years.
Because of that, GTT had no real incentive to roll out 4G/LTE quickly (unlike most mobile operators nationwide because they would lose out on customers).
But the new Prime Minister, Mark Phillips, announced the liberalization of the telecom market, which is also why Digicel Guyana finally got its 4G/LTE license.
So we got to have faith in Guyana – it just takes much longer.
With reasonably priced SIM cards, decent nationwide coverage (in populated areas), slow mobile data speeds, and slightly above average mobile data rates, you should have a decent network experience in Guyana.
Currency in Guyana
Guyana uses the Guyanese Dollar with the symbol GYD (which will be used throughout this guide).
However, prices are often listed as just $, G$, or GY$. For example, 25 GYD = $/G$/GY$25.
For reference, below are some exchange rates between GYD and USD (US Dollars):
- 10 GYD = 0.05 USD
- 100 GYD= 0.50 USD
- 1000 GYD = 4.80 USD
- 10 000 GYD = 47.90 USD
For up-to-date GYD:USD exchange rates, search GYD to USD on Google, or replace USD with the currency you use.
If your credit/debit card charges you foreign exchange fees, get yourself a Wise Borderless Account and Debit Card.
Their fees are MUCH lower than banks, and credit card companies charge you (and Wise is transparent about their fees, unlike banks).
I have saved literal THOUSANDS of Euros, my main currency, when using Wise abroad when traveling compared to my debit and credit cards. Open a Wise account FREE!
Guyanese Prepaid SIM Cards
Below, I will guide you through Digicel Guyana & GTT (formerly Celllink Plus), and go through:
- Background information
- Mobile coverage
- SIM card types, prices, and availability
- Recharge / top-up information
- Combo plans, data plans, and special packs (such as social media packs)
With that being said, let’s see what Guyana has to offer to us.
Digicel Guyana
Digicel Guyana, just Digicel, is one of the two mobile operators in Guyana.
It is unknown whether Digicel is larger than GTT.
Digicel, as a company, is active in many other Caribbean nations, Central America & Oceania.
Digicel uses the following frequencies:
- 2G: 900 MHz
- 3G: 850 MHz
- 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 28)
This is what you will learn about Digicel:
* Coverage
* How to Get a Digicel SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings
Coverage – Digicel Guyana
Digicel has decent coverage in populated areas.
You should not expect any coverage in the dense rainforests.
Below is Digicel's coverage map:
SIM Card Price – Digicel Guyana
You can get a Digicel SIM card for 2000 GYD in Digicel stores and from other retailers, including grocery stores, electronic shops & phone stores. Digicel SIM cards are also sold at Georgetown/Timehri-Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
Dial *100# to access the Digicel menu.
Dial *129# to see your Digicel phone number.
Digicel SIM cards get deactivated if there has been no activity for 120 days (no top-up for 120 days or no activity for 120 days).
Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Digicel Guyana
Digicel top-up vouchers are sold in Digicel stores, kiosks, gas stations & grocery stores.
To top up your Digicel SIM card, dial *121*VoucherCode#.
For example, if your voucher code is 123456, you would dial *121*123456#.
You can also tell the salesperson how much credit you want, your phone number, pay, and they will top up your SIM card with the POS system.
You can also recharge online with (international) debit and credit cards.
Dial *120# to check your Digicel balance.
You can also top up and check your balance on the Digicel app (Android/iOS).
Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Digicel Guyana
Digicel has one data-featured plan, which is the Digicel Prime Bundles. It is a combo bundle with data, data for select Digicel apps, minutes & SMS.
The following Prepaid Prime Bundles are available, which can be activated by dialing *100#:
| Price | Plan | Any Use Data | Listen More (Music) Data | Listen More (Radio) Data | Watch More Data | Play More Data | Share More Data | Know More Data | Store More Data | Local Minutes | Local SMS | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 450 GYD | 1 Day Digicel Prime Bundle | 500 MB | 1 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB | 10 minutes | 10 SMS | 1 day |
| 750 GYD | 3 Day Digicel Prime Bundle | 1 GB | 3 GB | 3 GB | 3 GB | 3 GB | 3 GB | 3 GB | 3 GB | 20 minutes | 20 SMS | 3 days |
| 1600 GYD | 7 Day Digicel Prime Bundle | 2 GB | 7 GB | 7 GB | 7 GB | 7 GB | 7 GB | 7 GB | 7 GB | 30 minutes | 30 SMS | 7 days |
| 3800 GYD | 30 Day Digicel Prime Bundle | 4.5 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB | 80 minutes | 80 SMS | 30 days |
| 5400 GYD | 30 Day Digicel Prime Bundle | 6 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB | 150 minutes | 150 SMS | 30 days |
You can download any Prime Bundle app by visiting the links below:
- Listen More (Music) with D’Music
- Listen More (Radio) with GoLoud
- Watch More with PlayGo
- Play More with Sports Max
- Share More with Bip
- Know More with Loop
- Store More with Billo
APN/Internet Settings – Digicel Guyana
- Name: Digicel
- APN: web.digicelgy.com
Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.
Jump back to the Table of Contents.
GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)
GTT, sometimes also known as GTT+ by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, is one of the two mobile operators in Guyana.
It is unknown whether GTT is larger than Digicel Guyana.
GTT uses the following frequencies:
- 2G: 900 MHz
- 3G: 850 MHz
- 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 17 & Band 28)
This is what you will learn about GTT:
* Coverage
* How to Get a GTT SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings
Coverage – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)
GTT has decent coverage in populated areas.
You should not expect any coverage in the dense rainforests.
Below is GTT's coverage map:
Here you have a coverage map of 2G, 3G & 4G/LTE combined:
SIM Card Price – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)
You can get a GTT SIM card for 2000 GYD in GTT stores and from SIM vendors, including grocery stores, electronic shops & pharmacies. They are not available at Georgetown/Timehri-Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
Dial *100# to access the GTT menu.
Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)
GTT top-up vouchers are sold in GTT stores and by Top Up Vendors, such as kiosks, gas stations & grocery stores.
To top up your GTT SIM card, dial *100# and follow the instructions.
You can also tell the salesperson how much credit you want, your phone number, pay, and they will top up your SIM card with the POS system.
You can also recharge online with (international) debit and credit cards.
Dial *100# or text Menu to 6202428 to check your GTT balance.
You can also top up and check your balance on the MyGTT app (Android/iOS).
Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)
GTT has two data-featured plans: Pre-Paid Bundles (combo) and Pre-Paid Data (data).
All GTT plans can be activated by dialing *100#.
Pre-Paid Bundles – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)
The Pre-Paid Bundles are combo bundles with data, mintues & SMS.
You call allowance can also be used to call to Canada and the United States.
Pre-Paid Bundles can be activated by dialing *100#:
| Price | Plan | Data | Local/Canada/USA Minutes | Local SMS | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 410 GYD | Daily+ Bundle | 300 MB | 15 minutes | 30 SMS | 1 day |
| 680 GYD | 3 Days Bundle | 600 MB | 25 minutes | 50 SMS | 3 days |
| 1370 GYD | Weekly Bundle | 1.5 GB | 40 minutes | 80 SMS | 7 days |
| 3380 GYD | Monthly Bundle | 4 GB | 100 minutes | 200 SMS | 30 days |
| 4840 GYD | Monthly+ Bundle | 5 GB | 150 minutes | 250 SMS | 30 days |
| 7300 GYD | 10 GB Monthly Bundle | 10 GB | 300 minutes | 500 SMS | 30 days |
Pre-Paid Data Plans – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)
The Pre-Paid Data plans are data-only bundles.
Pre-Paid Data plans can be activated by dialing *100#:
| Price | Plan | Data | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 260 GYD | Daily Plan | 150 MB | 1 day |
| 290 GYD | Daily Social Plan | Unlimited 1 | 1 day |
| 350 GYD | Daily Extended Plan | 220 MB | 1 day |
| 520 GYD | 3 Day Plan | 350 MB | 3 days |
| 1280 GYD | Weekly Plan | 1000 MB | 7 days |
| 2360 GYD | Monthly Plan | 2 GB | 30 days |
1 for Facebook & WhatsApp only
Unused data allowances will roll over to the next billing cycle.
APN/Internet Settings – GTT (formerly Cellink Plus)
- Name: gtt
- APN: gtt
- Username: gtt
- Password: gtt
Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.
Jump back to the Table of Contents.
Other Ways to Stay Connected When Traveling in Guyana
The cheapest way to get online in Guyana is to get a SIM card from one of the mobile operators. However, that is not your only method of staying online.
Below are some other options to consider.
International Roaming
Roaming is the most convenient way to stay connected.
You do not have to buy a new SIM card, and people at home can easily reach you on your current phone number.
However, roaming has many downsides as well. It can be insanely expensive.
International/Travel SIM Cards
International SIM cards or travel SIM cards are SIM cards made for travelers.
The rates charged are often lower than international roaming, but they are almost always higher than what local operators will charge you.
Get to know more about international and travel SIM cards.
Mobile hotspots, or pocket WIFI, are small devices that connect to the local mobile 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.
Free WIFI Networks
Nothing beats free, right? Paying nothing to stay connected may be the best option.
Until you remember that free hotspots are not available everywhere (especially when on the move) and that free connections are often extremely slow.
Just make sure to protect your internet traffic with a VPN when connected to open WIFI connections. It is worth it.
The Preferred Way to Stay Connected When Traveling in Guyana
Getting a SIM card from Digicel or GTT would do you well when considering a Guyanese SIM card.
Local Prepaid SIM Cards in Other South American Countries
Planning on visiting other countries in South America? Check out my South America SIM card buying guide covering other South American destinations, such as:
Next Steps to Enhance Your Travel Experiences
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Each of these options has its pros and cons. Learn more about them, and find the best option for you.
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