Djibouti - 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?
Bring an unlocked phone. You will buy a local SIM and load it via scratch-off cards. Overall, I have found it to be much cheaper than US cell phone plans. I also kept my Google Voice number so I could make phone calls to US numbers and rely on that for all of the authentication/verification texts required to access my US-based accounts. - May 2022
Local provider. - Sep 2020
I used a local provider. - Apr 2018
I bought an unlocked Samsung from the NEX at Camp Lemonnier and installed a local SIM card. Then I buy local credit as needed. I haven't had any issues. Some Embassy personnel do use their unlocked iPhones. - Jun 2016
Cell phones and replenishment cards are available. Djibouti Telecom is government owned and really sucks but it's the only show in town. Embassy has a way to call from your cell through to the U.S. on VOIP and texting to the states is about 25 cents a text. - Aug 2015
There is only one company (a government monopoly) in town - Feb 2013
The embassy issues cell phones to its employees. Blackberries and other global phones don't always work. - Apr 2010
Cell phones are available, but the cell phone service is pretty bad. It was a government monopoly, so what are you going to do?For the first year I was there, you couldn't get a SIM card to save your life. We spent over $100 to buy a used SIM card for my husband. But that situation was eventually resolved and now you can buy a SIM card for a more reasonable amount: maybe $60? - Aug 2008
It's a monopoly, so there is no choice. - Apr 2008
