Internet connectivity VOIP, Skype, Magic Jack, etc

[robsoilman]

Looking for help regarding communications whether by phone, internet, VOIP, cable, fiber optic, “Skype” tm, “Magic Jack” tm or anything else that will improve my chances of communications between the outside world and my little beach hotel on Playa Palo Seco near Parrita.

My Wife and I currently live in NC, USA, but plan to become CR residents around April of this year.

Here is our current communication set-up in the USA:

We currently use a slow DSL connection through our local phone company which also is our land line provider (Windstream).

We use AT&T as our Cellular provider (has the removable SIMMs)

We have Long Distance through Power Net Global (PNC) which also provides 2 Toll Free phone numbers which forward to our home phone here in NC and our my wife’s cellular phone here in NC. These are very important because this is how people in North America reach us by phone regarding our little hotel.

Here is our current communication setup in CR:

We do not have a land line available to our property at this time (applied for 2 lines 3 years ago).

We have an old technology “radio phone” at our hotel provided by ICE. It is unreliable and cannot be used for internet or fax. only voice and that is more off than on.

We also have 2 cell phones: 1 of each type they offer in CR (GSM and TDMA I think). The signal on our island beach is week and only works when you are standing on or near the beach or have an external antennae connected – so not a sure thing for receiving incoming calls.

Regarding the new Undersea Cable that connects in Parrita: We watched in great anticipation as they rolled out and installed a new Fiber Optic cable on our beach island, but as far as I know it has never been activated and who knows if they will even extend it all the way to our east end of the island. If that ever gets completed I’ll throw a big party with free beer for the whole island.

Our hotel manager has his own personal office in Parrita about 10 km from our hotel.
He has a regular ICE phone line and what they call “high speed internet” via a special modem box (not sure how that works or whether he can make a phone call while he in on the internet.).

Our manager also currently has a Skype account and uses a VOIP digital (USB connection I think?) phone and can call us on this at our home in the NC very well. The sound quality is very good and it appears to be more reliable for him to call here than it is for us to call any regular land line in CR from NC.

I do not know if we can call him at his office if he is connected with the VOIP phone connected. Do you know the answer?

Back in the States now:
We are considering switching our phone service here in NC to a cable company which offers internet, digital phone and TV bundled for less than we pay for our DSL and Phone now. Not sure what to do. Still don’t understand the Skype/Magic Jack debate too well, but trying to learn fast.

I decided to post this as a new thread after I posted this in reply to another topic, but realized it was only indirectly related.

Thanks,
Robert (Robsoilman)
Playa Palo Seco, Parrita, CR

[DavidCMurray]

If what you are trying to establish is a high-speed Internet link from Costa Rica to the outside world and regular channels (ICE telephone, ICE cell, etc) are unavailable in your area, you might consider a Dr. Dish satellite Internet installation. With that, you can reach the Internet at high speeds and over a very reliable connection. Once connected to the Internet, you can establish a Skype account which you can use to call to North Carolina, anyplace else in the United States, and anyplace in Costa Rica where there is a telephone. And you can receive incoming calls to your computer or to a number you establish in the U.S. for that purpose.

Does that get at what you want to have happen?

[robsoilman]

Yes this is what I am looking for, but I have a sneeking suspicion Dr. Dish is very expensive (thousands of dollars and high monthly costs thereafter. If I had a 100 room hotel or just a lot of moldy currency lying around it would be good. Unfortunately no “old money” here and not nearly as much new money as about 6 months ago.

I will still check out Dr. Dish because it may not be as much as I have heard. Thanks for the suggestion. I just don’t want to invest too heavily in a satelite system when there is the stong likelyhood they will get the fiber optic down to my end of the island within a year or so.

[Bandera]

Sir
Contact me via email I think I can help.
Stan
Stan@banderabeachestates.com
I can’t sell real estate so I might as well sell Internet.

[DavidCMurray]

When I was talking to Don Paul (Dr. Dish) a couple of years ago, he was quoting about $7,000 for installation and around $125 per month for service.

[robsoilman]

Since I now know you are my neighbor I will get back to you off board.
Robert

[robsoilman]

David, Thanks for the information on Dr. Dish, but $7000 is way out of my league. I can go to town or to my neighbors hotel over a 1000 times and not spend that kind of money even if I buy 2 or 3 beers each time I use their wireless connection.

Again it is just a matter of scale too. At Cabinas la Tranquilidad, our maximum capacity is 20 people (very small), but our little place works very well for certain types of small groups.

[Bandera]

Robert
I am on Playa Bandera First house next to Anna’s and Victor’s Pulparia, they have since rented to a bar. Someone just broke in to my house and stole my 32 inch TV. I have a 36 inch that I am going to ship down. This is one with a picture tube. Let see them trying to pick that up. You can plug in a Magic Jack to DSL in CR They give you a US number and if you call out walla it is free from the number in the US.
28800k got you down I have data compression phones that allow you to talk and phone at that snails pace. There is one hotel in San Jose that charges 1.75 a minute to call anywhere in the world his cost thru skype 6 cents a minute. Robert he makes more money off his phone service than he does the hotel.
Talk off line
Stan

[fricci]

There are many wireless providers…..we use a company called fratec or reyco. They provide wireless internet / vpn. Installations costs are acceptable and service is great. you might want to try them. http://www.fratec.com or http://www.reyco.com (or reyco.co.cr..not sure). We provide voip services and some of our customers on the tourist areas can’t get internet from ICE and RACSA..so they go for these kind of solutions….

This is now legal…in case somebody have doubts.

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