Ulaanbaatar - Post Report Question and Answers
Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Mobile phone plans are also very inexpensive. We’ve never had an issue with service. We also have a US number with GoogleFi and it works fine here. - Jan 2024
Use a local provider Mobicom. - Jan 2022
Take an unlocked smart phone and get a local plan. It is very cheap for unlimited minutes, text and data. - Sep 2020
Local Japanese-provided cell service is fine. - Aug 2020
Local provider is very cheap and reliable. - Jul 2019
Bring an iphone/smartphone so you can install the songo app for food delivery! Tedy center can unlock phones (although you might not want to see how they do it as it involves pulling out some wires and fusing some before they confidently tell you it's unlocked). It generally is easy-- just take a Mongolian speaker to help you translate.
Mobicom provides local sim cards and pay-as-you go plans are very reasonable (I pay about US$100 for 3G data and phone; this lasts me about a year). The Mobicom office close to Shangri-La mall employs English-speaking staff. - Oct 2016
There are several good local companies offering a variety of plans and pay-as-you-go arrangements (we use Mobicom). Quality of cellphone service is very good generally, and coverage is surprisingly good even outside UB. - Feb 2015
Cell phones are cheap and easy to obtain. - May 2012
They work. - Feb 2012
Buy one, buy one and did I mention, buy one? Cell phones are a must, especially when traveling outside the city. Direct-hires with the embassy are assigned cell phones and the embassy covers those costs. Cell phones not tied to contracts (unbroken) are easy to find at the TEDI building. Even if you're not with the U.S. Embassy, get yourself a cell phone. MobiCom is the largest cell phone carrier in Mongolia. - Feb 2011
The U.S. Embassy issues cells phones to its employees. Purchase a calling card to call the U.S.; they are cheap. I use Vonage to telephone the U.S. - Jan 2009
Cell phones are everywhere. - Oct 2008
