Need some advice on internet access in the DR

Hi there!

Can anyone give me some advice on how to access the internet as a tourist from a hotel in the DR? Is it possible at all?

I saw some messages about CodeTel and found there website, but I can't read spanish Do I need to sign up for an account or just call the number I found there?

Thanks for any help!

while ussing the internet according to responses, while there you may incurr long distance phone charges since all time spend on the net has phone charges. Before you sign in your register ask about internet access and posiblility of any charges. I doubt they try to charge a foreigner for internet use.Read answer is there iss an net in DR.

You don't give any idea where you plan to visit. I can speak of the North Side, particularly the Playa Dorada complex which is just outside the city of Puerto Plata. There they have (at least in Feb 2001 had) public access through a vendor whose primary business was selling CD's and tapes.

A number of the tour operators offered free access but I was given to understand that such offers were tied to a person purchasing a tour.

Possibly such services are available in other parts of the country.

As a visitor, I believe your only options are:

Dial long distance to a provider in your home country. It may be cheaper to use a good calling card - there is a card available at www.BocaChicaBeach.net/staying_in_touch.html that currently gets you US$0.26/min. to call a number in the USA from the Dominican Republic, no connect fee. That's about 20 minutes for US$5.

Dial your provider's local access number in the DR if they have one. AOL has one for example in Santo Domingo but it comes with a surcharge of a US$12/hr. Keep in mind that calls to Santo Domingo will be a toll call from just about any beach area in the Dominican Republic so inquire on the cost before making such a call from your hotel room.

Visit an internet cafe. Most tourist areas have several, there may even be one in your hotel. You probably won't be able to plug in your own computer, but you'll have access to the internet and if you set it up ahead of time, you can read any POP3 accessible E-mail account using a web-mail service such as Yahoo or Hotmail.

In my experience, 5 years, most business & large tourist hotels have computers & are on the internet. Some luxury hotels in Santo Domingo have internet connections in the individual rooms. You should have a laptop with a modem; much easier; & it eliminates the storage & copying problem after downloading. There are internet cafes in most Dominican cities; Codetel & other providers also maintain internet offices; cost - usaully @ 50 pesos per hour. Some hotels will allow you to connect your laptop to their connection in their lobby desk or business office, for an hour or so. Large hotels have DSL connections. If this is important to you, I suggest you e-mail the individual hotel before you make your reservation, stating that internet access is important & MUST be included. It's a buyer's market, throughout the country. Codetel & Tricom have local access #s throughout the country; you can log on w/o paying toll charges. Another approach; find a computer literate permanent resident, proably a Gringo, & ask, or pay, to use his name & password temporarily. Good Luck! All standard telephone connections will hanlde a modem.

"You should have a laptop with a modem; much easier; & it eliminates the storage & copying problem after downloading."

Please explain.

"Some luxury hotels in Santo Domingo have internet connections in the individual rooms."

Which ones, for example (1 or 2)?

"Some hotels will allow you to connect your laptop to their connection in their lobby desk or business office, for an hour or so."

Which ones, for example (1 or 2 that allow this)?

"Large hotels have DSL connections. If this is important to you, I suggest you e-mail the individual hotel before you make your reservation, stating that internet access is important & MUST be included. It's a buyer's market, throughout the country."

How will stating you MUST have access, help?

"Codetel & Tricom have local access #s throughout the country; you can log on w/o paying toll charges."

Dialing into Codetel or Tricom isn't a problem, but it will do no good without an account, something a visitor will not have.

"All standard telephone connections will hanlde a modem. "

Not true. Most internal phone systems (within hotels and offices in the DR, and around the world) are actually not modem compatible. For that, you need an analog line. Most internal systems are digital, not analog, and in fact, they will fry your modem. Never assume. Take it from a computer road warrior.