U.S. Virgin Islands: 2 Best Prepaid SIM Cards Buying Guide (2023)

The U.S. Virgin Islands – one of the two Virgin Islands out there, together with the British Virgin Islands.

The U.S. Virgin Islands is known for its beaches, clear water & amazing food.

The island group is an unincorporated and organized United States territory.

What that means is beyond the scope of this guide, but it is somewhat part of the US.

But what can you even do on these islands?

You can explore the many national parks, like the Virgin Islands National Parks.

Snorkeling around Buck Island is recommended too.

And, of course, enjoy the beach life on the many beaches on the islands.

But… the U.S. Virgin Islands are not cheap. You need some good money to enjoy your trip there.

That is why I recommend local SIM cards so that you can enjoy local rates – international roaming can be expensive.

And the prices of SIM cards in the U.S. Virgin Islands will surprise you.

You can get a U.S. Virgin Islands SIM card for free from Liberty (formerly AT&T) and Viya (formerly Innovative VI) in their stores. However, you are required to purchase a plan before you get your SIM card (starting from 20 USD). You may be able to get a SIM card at St. Thomas-Cyril E. King Airport (STT).

Okay, free SIM cards with a catch with a minimum of 20 USD – almost the same as in Canada and the United States itself.

Now you may be thinking, why not use my American (USA) SIM card in the U.S. Virgin Islands – I can use it here for free!

In many cases, you can. However, speeds can be painfully slow (2G speeds).

So yeah, get yourself a local SIM card.

In this guide, I will tell you everything you need to know about buying a SIM card in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Let's get started.

Original publication: 12th of December 2021. Last updated: 16th of September 2023.

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Table of Contents

Can You Buy a SIM Card in the U.S. Virgin Islands?

You can buy a U.S. Virgin Islands SIM card from Liberty (formerly AT&T) or Viya (formerly Innovative VI) as a tourist. There is nothing preventing travelers from buying a SIM card in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Your phone has to support the frequencies used in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Furthermore, your phone needs to be unlocked (SIM-lock free) to use a U.S. Virgin Islands SIM card.

Where Can You Buy a SIM Card in the U.S. Virgin Islands?

You can get a U.S. Virgin Islands SIM card in the official stores of Liberty (formerly AT&T) and Viya (formerly Innovative VI). You may be able to get a SIM card at St. Thomas-Cyril E. King Airport (STT).

You can expect to pay the following for U.S. Virgin Islands SIM cards:

• Liberty U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly AT&T): free, but plan purchase required (minimum of 25 USD)
• Viya U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly Innovative VI): free, but plan purchase required (minimum of 20 USD)

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Can You Use Your Phone in the U.S. Virgin Islands?

The U.S. Virgin Islands use GSM technology for mobile communications primarily. CDMA phones will not work in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 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.

The U.S. Virgin Islands use American Frequencies, which are used in the Americas (North-, Central & 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 & 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 the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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 the U.S. Virgin Islands 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 the U.S. Virgin Islands (to some extent) – also on 4G/LTE and 5G NR.

Mobile Operators, Networks & Frequencies in the U.S. Virgin Islands

The U.S. Virgin Islands have two mobile operators offering prepaid services:

• Liberty U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly AT&T)
• Viya U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly Innovative VI)

The following frequencies are used in the U.S. Virgin Islands:

• 2G: 850 MHz
• 3G: 850 MHz & 1900 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 12, Band 14, Band 17 & Band 29), 850 MHz (Band 5), 1700 MHz (Band 4 & Band 66), 1900 MHz (Band 2), 2300 MHz (Band 30) & 2500 MHz (Band 41)
• 5G NR: 850 MHz (through DDS)

You can learn more about frequencies in the video below.

To check whether your phone will work in the U.S. Virgin Islands,, 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.

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VoLTE & VoWiFi in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Both VoLTE (Voice over LTE (4G) – also known as HD Voice) and VoWiFi (Voice over WiFi – also known as WiFI calling) are available in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

However, not all mobile operators in the U.S. Virgin Islands offer VoLTE and VoWiFi.

The following mobile operators offer VoLTE and VoWiFi in the U.S. Virgin Islands:

• Liberty U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly AT&T)

Viya U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly Innovative VI) does not offer VoLTE nor VoWiFi (yet).

This means that when you make a call with Viya U.S. Virgin Islands, 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 the U.S. Virgin Islands

Commercial 5G NR has been available in the U.S. Virgin Islands since 2019, with T-Mobile US extending coverage to the territory. Liberty, then AT&T, started rolling out 5G NR in 2020. Viya has yet to obtain a 5G NR license.

Best SIM Card in the U.S. Virgin Islands

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Best eSIM in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unfortunately, none of the mobile operators offer eSIM (to prepaid customers) in the U.S. Virgin Islands yet.

However, you can get the U.S. Virgin Islands (Magens Mobile) eSIM from Airalo with 1 GB of data or 3 GB of data – both valid for 7 days.

With these eSIMs, the data costs can be lower than Liberty and Viya themselves, and you can use them immediately upon arriving in the U.S. Virgin Islands!

If you plan on visiting other neighboring countries, or any nation globally, consider the Discover Global with 1 GB of data (7 days) in the U.S. Virgin Islands and these other countries:

SIM Card Registration in the U.S. Virgin Islands

SIM card registration, with the use of your personal information (such as your passport), is not required when buying a SIM card in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

U.S. Virgin Islands Mobile Internet Prices & Insights

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Using an American (USA) SIM Card in the U.S. Virgin Islands

T-Mobile US, AT&T USA & many mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs, including Boost Mobile USA, Cricket Wireless, Google Fi, H2O Wireless, Lycamobile USA, Metro by T-Mobile (formerly MetroPCS), Mint Mobile, Straight Talk, TracFone & Ultra Mobile) allow you to use your American SIM card in the U.S. Virgin Islands without additional roaming fees.

The U.S Virgin Islands (and Puerto Rico) are considered native or extended coverage by T-Mobile US and AT&T USA.

Verizon does not have native coverage in the U.S. Virgin Islands (and Puerto Rico, for that matter).

While T-Mobile US and AT&T have coverage in the U.S. Virgin Islands, not all their plans include the islands.

The same counts for the MVNOs – they are less likely to include the U.S. Virgin Islands (for free).

Moreover, speeds can be excruciatingly slow – basically useless (at 2G speeds).

This guide will not cover T-Mobile US – only the actual local mobile operators (and T-Mobile US only has three 3G/LTE towers).

However, the two former Sprint stores (now acquired by T-Mobile US) do sell prepaid SIM cards and plans.

But they may have slightly different offerings in the U.S. Virgin Islands to meet the demand of the territory.

If you are still interested in T-Mobile US, you can read more about what it has to offer in my United States SIM card buying guide.

Currency in the U.S. Virgin Islands

The U.S. Virgin Islands use the US Dollar with the symbol USD (which will be used throughout this guide).

Prices in the U.S. Virgin Islands are listed in just $.

For up-to-date USD:your currency (let's say Euro) exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

U.S. Virgin Islands Prepaid SIM Cards

Below, I will guide you through Liberty U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly AT&T) & Viya U.S Virgin Islands (formerly Innovative VI), 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 the U.S. Virgin Islands have to offer.

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Liberty U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly AT&T)

Liberty U.S. Virgin Islands, just Liberty and formerly AT&T, is one of the mobile operators in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

AT&T (from the United States) decided to sell its Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands division in 2017.

While it took years for the rebrand to complete, it has finally happened.

However, Liberty still uses some of AT&T's features, such as online top-ups.

Liberty uses the following frequencies:

• 2G: N/A – shut down on the 31st of December 2016
• 3G: 850 MHz & 1900 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 12, Band 14, Band 17 & Band 29), 850 MHz (Band 5), 1700 MHz (Band 4 & Band 66), 1900 MHz (Band 2) & 2300 MHz (Band 30)
• 5G NR: 850 MHz (n5 – through DDS)

This is what you will learn about Liberty:

* Coverage
* How to Get a Liberty SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings

Coverage – Liberty U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly AT&T)

Liberty has extensive coverage throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Most of the U.S. Virgin Islands are already covered by 5G NR.

Below is Liberty's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

However, click here to see Liberty's official coverage map.

SIM Card Price – Liberty U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly AT&T)

You can get a Liberty SIM card for free in Liberty stores. However, you are required to purchase a plan upon retrieval. You may be able to get a SIM card at St. Thomas-Cyril E. King Airport (STT).

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Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Liberty U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly AT&T)

You can top-up your Liberty SIM card in Liberty stores or online.

Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Liberty U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly AT&T)

Liberty has two data-featured prepaid plans: Other Plans (combo) & Unlimited Plans (combo).

All Liberty plans have to be activated in-store.

Other Plans – Liberty U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly AT&T)

The Other Plans are combo plans with data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.

Other Plans have to be activated in a Liberty store:

Price	Data 1	Local/International Minutes 2	Local/International SMS 2	Validity
20 USD	4 GB	Unlimited	Unlimited	30 days
30 USD	8 GB	Unlimited	Unlimited	30 days
40 USD	16 GB 3	Unlimited	Unlimited	30 days

¹ +unlimited data @ 128 Kbps after exhausting your data allowance
² also to Puerto Rico & the United States
³ +Canada & Mexico data roaming

Other Plans roll over.

Unlimited Plans – Liberty U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly AT&T)

The Unlimited Plans are combo bundles with unlimited data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.

Unlimited Plan/s have to be activated in a Liberty store:

Price	Plan	Data 1, 2	Local/International Minutes 3	Local/International SMS 3	Validity
45 USD	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	1 month

¹ +unlimited data @ 128 Kbps after 22 GB of data
² +Canada & Mexico data roaming
³ to/in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico (to only) & the United States

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Jump back to the Table of Contents.

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Viya U.S. Virgin Islands

Viya U.S. Virgin Islands, just Viya and formerly Innovative VI, is one of the mobile operators in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

It is the only local mobile operator in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Viya uses the following frequencies:

• 2G: 850 MHz
• 3G: 1900 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 2500 MHz (Band 41)

This is what you will learn about Viya:

* Coverage
* How to Get a Viya SIM Card & SIM Card Price
* Topping Up Options & Methods + Balance Check
* Plans & Packages
* APN/Internet Settings

Coverage – Viya U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly Innovative VI)

Viya has extensive coverage in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

4G/LTE reception is almost anywhere.

Below is Viya's coverage map produced by Speedtest:

SIM Card Price – Viya U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly Innovative VI)

You can get a Viya SIM card for free in Viya stores. However, you are required to purchase a plan upon retrieval. You may be able to get a SIM card at St. Thomas-Cyril E. King Airport (STT).

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Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check – Viya U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly Innovative VI)

You can top-up your Viya SIM card in Viya stores and top-up locations, including grocery stores, corner shops & electronics shops throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers – Viya U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly Innovative VI)

Viya has only one type of data-featured prepaid bundle, which is the Plans. It includes data (without 5G NR access), minutes & SMS.

The following Plans are available, which you can pay for in Viya physical stores:

Price	Plan	Data	Social Data 1	On-Net Minutes	Local/International Minutes 2	On-Net SMS	Local SMS 2	Validity
20 USD	Basic	5 GB	N/A	Unlimited	N/A	Unlimited	N/A	1 month
40 USD	Unlimited	Unlimited 2, 3, 4	N/A	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	1 month
65 USD	Home Abroad	Unlimited 2, 5	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited 5	Unlimited	Unlimited	1 month

¹ for Facebook Messenger, Google Maps & WhatsApp
² also to Puerto Rico & the United States
³ also for use in the Caribbean (Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines & Turks & Caicos)
⁴ up to 10 GB only in the United States
⁵ +20 minutes calls and 5 GB of data to/in the Caribbean (Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines & Turks & Caicos)

Jump back to the Table of Contents.

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The Preferred Way to Stay Connected When Traveling in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Getting a SIM card from Liberty or Viya would be your only option when considering a U.S. Virgin Islands SIM card.