Saba – a potentially active volcano in the Caribbean.
It is a special municipality of the Netherlands.
Previously, it was part of the Netherlands Antilles until it was dissolved in 2010.
Now, it is the smallest and least inhabited territory in the Caribbean
What can you do in Saba? Not much besides visiting forests, beaches & Mount Scenery.
Ironically, Mount Scenery is the largest volcano/mountain in the Netherlands.
Just like many other Caribbean nations, Saba is not a cheap travel destination.
What is even more expensive are the international roaming rates for Saba – roaming can be expensive.
You are better off getting local SIM cards, like a Saban one, when you travel to enjoy local rates.
SIM cards are not cheap in Saba, but they are still way more affordable than international roaming rates.
You can get a Saban SIM card for 17 USD from Flow/Chippie (formerly UTS) in the Flow store or 20 USD from TelCell in the Satel store (local TelCell partner). You cannot buy SIM cards at Saba-Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (SAB).
Yep – the SIM cards are not inexpensive, but they are still worth the investment.
Unless you want to receive a 300 USD roaming bill when you go back home😜.
In this guide, I will go over everything you need to know about buying a SIM card in Saba. Let's get started.
Original publication: 19th of December 2021. Last updated: 15th of January 2024.
Table of Contents
Can You Buy a SIM Card in Saba?
You can buy a Saban SIM card from Flow/Chippie (formerly UTS) and TelCell (TelEm) as a tourist. There is nothing preventing travelers from buying a SIM card in Saba.
You do have to comply with the SIM card registration regulations.
Moreover, your phone has to support the frequencies used in Saba.
Finally, your phone needs to be unlocked (SIM-lock free) to use a Saban SIM card.
Where Can You Buy a SIM Card in Saba?
You can get a Saban SIM card in the official store of Flow/Chippie (formerly UTS) and Satel (for TelCell). They are not available at Saba-Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (SAB).
You can expect to pay the following for Saban SIM cards:
- Flow/Chippie Saba (formerly UTS Saba): 17 USD
- TelCell (Saba): 20 USD
Can You Use Your Phone in Saba?
Saba uses GSM for their cellular communications, meaning that you need a GSM-capable phone to use your phone in the country. Fortunately, there is about a 99% chance your phone supports GSM.
Besides that, you need to be aware of the ITU Regions to determine whether your phone will work in other parts of the world.
Although there are 3 ITU Regions, you only need to know these two terms: American frequencies and European frequencies.
Africa, Asia (including the Middle East), Europe & Oceania (ITU Regions 1 & 3) typically use European frequencies, meaning phones bought in those regions can be used in countries using European frequencies without issues.
The Americas (North-, Central– & South America + the Caribbean), ITU Region 2, use American frequencies, which are different from the European frequencies.
Saba uses a mix of American frequencies and European frequencies for 3G and 4G/LTE, depending on the mobile operator. 2G is exclusively on European frequencies.
If you purchased 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, you can go with any mobile operator.
They support traditional European frequencies on 2G, 3G & 4G/LTE. However, one of TelCell Saba's 3G and 4G/LTE frequencies (850 MHz (on Band 5)) is a traditional American frequency.
Luckily, the other ones (1800 MHz on Band 3 and 2100 MHz on Band 1) are traditional European frequencies.
If you bought your phone in the Americas (ITU Region 2) and have a low/medium-end device (without Tri-Band or Quad-Band) support, you can go with any mobile operator.
One of their 3G frequencies (850 MHz) is a traditional American frequency. The same counts for 850 MHz (Band 5) on TelCell's 4G/LTE network (which barely exist anyway).
Suppose you have a medium/high-end device with Tri-Band or Quad-Band support. In that case, you can go with any mobile operator, as your phone will support both American frequencies and European frequencies, even on 4G/LTE.
Mobile Operators, Networks & Frequencies in Saba
Saba has two mobile operators offering prepaid services easily accessible to travelers:
- Flow/Chippie Saba (formerly UTS Saba)
- TelCell (Saba – TelEm)
The following frequencies are used in Saba:
- 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
- 3G: 850 MHz & 2100 MHz
- 4G/LTE: 850 MHz (Band 5), 1800 MHz (Band 3) & 2100 MHz (Band 1)
You can learn more about frequencies in the video below.
To check whether your phone will work in Saba, check out this page by Kimovil or this one by Will My Phone Work (outdated, unfortunately, but extremely user-friendly – useful for phones launched in or before 2019. It does not check for 5G NR compatibility).
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.
VoLTE & VoWiFi in Saba
Both VoLTE (Voice over LTE (4G) – also known as HD Voice) and VoWiFi (Voice over WiFi – also known as WiFI calling) are not offered by the mobile operators in Saba (yet).
This means that when you make a call, your phone will downgrade to 3G (or 2G when 3G is not available) instead of staying connected to 4G/LTE.
This is also why you often cannot use mobile while calling if not connected to WiFi.
VoWiFi is, as the name implies, calling on a WiFi connection as opposed to on a cellular network.
5G NR in Saba
5G NR is not available in Saba as of 2022, and the Saban government has not made any andications of when it will auction 5G licenses.
Best SIM Card in Saba
If you want to buy the best SIM card in Saba, I recommend going with Flow/Chippie (formerly UTS). It has the best (4G/LTE) coverage, is the fastest, and allows for free roaming in Chippieland (neighboring territories with Flow/Chippie).
SIM Card Registration in Saba
SIM card registration with your passport information is required in Saba. It will be done at the point of sale.
Saba Mobile Internet Prices & Insights
The Caribbean is certainly not known for being a cheap travel destination.
Many of the Caribbean nations have many high-end resorts.
They are fun, but they are off-limits for your on-a-budget backpacker – if you get me.
So what about mobile data rates? Are they low in Saba?
The average price for 1 GB of data in Saba is 3.76 USD, around the Caribbean average of 4.44 USD. The world average is 4.07 USD.
But what about the arrows in the image above?
Yes, Saba is part of Caribbean Netherlands. But I do not know how Cable.co.uk came with their average, as it is nowhere clear to reality.
Based on my own calculations, the average cost of 1 GB of data is 3.76 USD.
Much better than the 10.94 USD average from Cable.co.uk, I would say 😏.
While there is not much information about mobile data speeds in Saba because not many people do speed tests there, I can mention something about speeds.
In the Caribbean, you can expect your speeds to range between 10 Mbps and 25 Mbps.
The same applies to Saba, although you will be on the lower end of the range.
With quite expensively priced SIM cards, good nationwide coverage (in populated areas), decent mobile download speeds, and average mobile data rates, you should have a smooth network experience in Saba.
.
Currency in Saba
Saba uses the US Dollar with the symbol USD (which will be used throughout this guide).
Prices in Saba are listed in just $.
For up-to-date USD:your currency (let's say Euro) exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
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!
Saban Prepaid SIM Cards
Below, I will guide you through Flow/Chippie Saba (formerly UTS Saba) & TelCell (Saba – TelEm), and go through:
- Background information
- Mobile coverage
- SIM card types, prices & availability
- Recharge/top-up information
- Combo plans, data plans & special packs (such as social media packs)
With that being said, let’s see what Saba has to offer to us.
Flow/Chippie Saba (formerly UTS)
Flow Saba, just Flow and formerly UTS Saba – going by Chippie, is one of the two mobile operators in Saba.
Flow/Chippie is a brand by Cable & Wireless used throughout the Caribbean.
Flow/Chippie uses the following frequencies:
- 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
- 3G: 850 MHz & 2100 MHz
- 4G/LTE: 1800 MHz (Band 3)
This is what you will learn about Flow/Chippie:
* Coverage
* How to Get a Flow/Chippie SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods
* Plans & Packages
* Chippieland Explained
* APN/Internet Settings
Coverage – Flow/Chippie Saba (formerly UTS)
Flow/Chippie has the best (4G/LTE) coverage in Saba.
3G and 4G/LTE reception are available in the populated areas.
Below is Flow's/Chippie's coverage map produced by Speedtest:
SIM Card Price – Flow/Chippie Saba (formerly UTS)
You can get a Flow/Chippie SIM card for 17 USD with 11 USD credit from the Flow Store in The Bottom (Mathew Levenstone Street 16). They are not sold at Saba-Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (SAB).
Dial *91 or #191# to access the Flow/Chippie menu.
Dial *555# to see your Flow/Chippie phone number.
- Find out how much SIM cards cost in every country, including data-only SIM cards and tourist SIM cards, offered by each mobile operator + information about starter benefits (lookup tool)
Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Flow/Chippie Saba (formerly UTS)
Flow/Chippie top-up vouchers, called Chippiecards, are sold in the Flow Store in The Bottom (Mathew Levenstone Street 16), grocery stores, gas stations & bars.
The following top-ups are available:
| Top-Up | Validity |
|---|---|
| 5 USD | 30 days |
| 10 USD | 30 days |
| 20 USD | 30 days |
To top up your Flow/Chippie SIM card, dial *191*VoucherCode#; dial *91, select option 2, and enter the VoucherCode; or dial *444#, select option 1, select option 1 again, and enter the VoucherCode.
For example, if your voucher code is 123456, you would dial *191*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 #191# or dial *91 and select option 1 to check your Flow/Chippie balance.
You can also top up on the Topup Chippie app (Android/iOS).
Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Flow/Chippie Saba (formerly UTS)
Flow/Chippie has three data-featured prepaid plans:
- NEW Prepaid Combo (combo)
- New Data-Only Bundles (data)
- Data Pay As You Go (add-on)
All Flow/Chippie plans can be activated by texting the Activation Code to 3434.
I will list all the prices in USD.
To convert USD to your currency (let's say EUR – Euro) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
Click on the links above to jump to the plan you are interested in:
NEW Prepaid Combo – Flow/Chippie Saba (formerly UTS)
The NEW Prepaid Combo are combo plans with data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.
Activate NEW Prepaid Combo by texting the Activation Code to 3434:
| Price | Plan | Data | Local Minutes | Local SMS | Validity | Activation Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 USD | 1 Day Plan | 2.5 GB | “Unlimited”, 3000 minutes | Unlimited | 1 day | combo1d |
| 7 USD | 3 Day Plan | 3 GB | “Unlimited”, 3000 minutes | Unlimited | 3 days | combo3d |
| 12 USD | 7 Day Plan | 8 GB | “Unlimited”, 3000 minutes | Unlimited | 7 days | combo7d |
| 50 USD | 30 Day Plan | 10 GB | “Unlimited”, 3000 minutes | Unlimited | 30 days | combo30d |
Unused data will roll over to the next billing cycle.
NEW Prepaid Combo auto-renews.
New Data-Only Bundles – Flow/Chippie Saba (formerly UTS)
The Data-Only Bundles are, as the name implies, data plans (without 5G NR access).
Activate New Data-Only Bundles by texting the Activation Code to 3434:
| Price | Plan | Data | Validity | Activation Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.50 USD | 1 Day Data Bundle | 2.5 GB | 1 day | data1d |
| 6 USD | 3 Day Data Bundle | 3 GB | 3 days | data3d |
| 10 USD | 7 Day Data Bundle | 6 GB | 7 days | data7d |
| 20 USD | 30 Day Data Bundle (Small) | 3 GB | 30 days | data30ds |
| 25 USD | 30 Day Data Bundle (Large) | 8 GB | 30 days | data30dl |
Unused data will roll over to the next billing cycle.
Data Pay As You Go – Flow/Chippie Saba (formerly UTS)
The Data Pay As You Go plan is data add-on (without 5G NR access).
Activate Data Pay As You Go plan by texting the activation code to 3434:
| Price | Data | Validity | Activation Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.16 per MB | Pay As You Go | Until plan expires | data on |
APN/Internet Settings – Flow/Chippie Saba (formerly UTS)
- Name: Chippie
- APN: premium
Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.
Jump back to the Table of Contents.
TelCell (Saba – TelEm)
TelCell Saba, just TelCell but also known as TelEm, is one of the mobile operators in Saba.
It operates as one mobile operator network in Saba, Sint Eustatius & Sint Maarten.
This allows you to use your TelCell SIM card in the aforementioned territories without paying roaming fees.
TelCell uses the following frequencies:
- 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
- 3G: 850 MHz & 2100 MHz
- 4G/LTE: 850 MHz (Band 5) & 2100 MHz (Band 1)
This is what you will learn about TelCell:
* Coverage
* How to Get a TelCell SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings
Coverage – TelCell (Saba – TelEm)
TelCell has good coverage in Saba.
3G reception is available in populated areas.
4G/LTE barely exists with TelCell.
Below is TelCell's coverage map produced by Speedtest:
SIM Card Price – TelCell (Saba – TelEm)
You can get a TelCell SIM card for 20 USD with 10 USD credit in the Satel store (TelCell's local partner). They are not sold at Saba-Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (SAB).
Text number to 121 to see your TelCell phone number.
- Find out how much SIM cards cost in every country, including data-only SIM cards and tourist SIM cards, offered by each mobile operator + information about starter benefits (lookup tool)
Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – TelCell (Saba – TelEm)
TelCell top-up vouchers are sold in the Satel store (TelCell's local partner) and from Top Up Vendors, including grocery stores, gas stations & bars.
The following top-ups are available:
| Top-Up | Validity |
|---|---|
| 1 USD – 2.99 USD | 2 days |
| 2 USD – 4.99 USD | 5 days |
| 5 USD – 9.99 USD | 10 days |
| 10 USD – 19.99 USD | 30 days |
| 20 USD – 59.99 USD | 60 days |
| 60 USD – 99.99 USD | 80 days |
| 100 USD – 200 USD | 100 days |
To top up your TelCell SIM card, dial *123*VoucherCode#.
For example, if your voucher code is 123456, you would dial *123*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 *124# to check your TelCell balance.
You can also top up and check your balance on the Telcell Customer Selfcare app (Android/iOS).
Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – TelCell (Saba – TelEm)
TelCell has only one data-featured prepaid plan: Mobile Prepaid Data Plans. It includes data (without 5G NR access).
I will list all the prices in USD.
To convert USD to your currency (let's say EUR – Euro) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
The following Mobile Prepaid Data Plans are available, which you can activate by texting DATA ON to the corresponding number:
| Price | Data | Validity | Activation Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 USD | 1 GB | 1 day | DATA ON to 1001 |
| 3 USD | 3 GB | 1 day | DATA ON to 2001 |
| 10 USD | 5.25 GB | 7 days | DATA ON to 3001 |
| 10 USD | 1 GB | 30 days | DATA ON to 1007 |
| 20 USD 1 | 3 GB | 30 days | DATA ON to 2030 |
| 30 USD 2 | 10 GB | 30 days | DATA ON to 1030 |
| 40 USD 3 | 15 GB | 30 days | DATA ON to 1040 |
1 for $18 auto- renew
2 for $27 auto- renew
3 for $36 auto- renew
APN/Internet Settings – TelCell (Saba – TelEm)
- Name: TelCell
- APN: internet.telcell.an
- Authentication Type: PAP or CHAP
Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.
Jump back to the Table of Contents.
The Preferred Way to Stay Connected When Traveling in Saba
Getting a SIM card from Flow/Chippie would be your only when considering a Saban SIM card.
Local Prepaid SIM Cards in Other American Countries
Visiting other countries in the Americas? Check out my Caribbean SIM card buying guide, covering other American nations, such as:
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Martinique
- Mexico
- Montserrat
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Puerto Rico
- Saba
- Saint Barthélemy (Barts)
- Saint Kitts & Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Martin
- Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
- Sint Eustatius (Statia)
- Sint Maarten
- Suriname
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turks & Caicos Islands
- United States
- Uruguay
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Venezuela
Going to other places around the world? Then you should also check out my sim card buying guides for other destinations around the world.