Do you want to share vivid photos of your holiday in the Maldives on social networks? Think in advance about how to stay in touch with loved ones. Find out how much the Internet will cost you on the “paradise islands”.

COVERAGE IN THE MALDIVES


Although the Maldives is scattered across the Indian Ocean, there will be no problems with cellular communications and the Internet. Local providers cover almost 99% of the territory of the Republic of Maldives. Calls within the Maldives are fairly affordable. However, the cost of mobile internet in the Maldives is high. On average, mobile Internet will cost a tourist from $15 to $70, depending on the chosen tariff plan. The fastest internet is in the central area (Male) and the airport.

If you’re on a small island, buy a modem that supports 3G internet.

ROAMING IN THE MALDIVES

The cost of roaming in the Maldives depends on your home operator. As a rule, the Maldives is included in the third group of countries and the cost of calls and the Internet is quite high. Therefore, it will be more profitable to purchase a local SIM card upon arrival.

WI-FI IN THE MALDIVES

Almost all hotels in the Maldives have wi-fi. This applies not only to fashionable resort islands, but also to budget hotels located on local islands. However, the Internet is often only in the lobby or in bars and restaurants. It can also cause problems on the beach. The availability of wi-fi throughout the hotel should be specified directly when booking a room. Internet use in the room may be charged: about $20 per day.

Also, hotel wi-fi may not please at all with speed. Its quality is not the best: be guided by the reviews of travelers about the hotel you have chosen.

An alternative to wi-fi in the rooms can be wired internet with a laptop. Often, hotels have an Internet cafe where you can use the Internet and a laptop for an additional fee. The use of computers in hotels, as a rule, is paid and costs about $10 per hour.

In general, despite the presence of the Internet in the hotel, a sim card from a local operator will not be superfluous at all. Especially if you are planning to go on excursions.

INTERNET ON LOCAL ISLANDS IN THE MALDIVES

There are so-called “hot spots” on local islands that you can connect to in order to use Wi-Fi. They are paid: you need to purchase a prepaid voucher. Wi-Fi usage costs 95 MVR ($6) per day. Also on some local islands there are Internet cafes.

BUYING A SIM CARDS IN THE MALDIVES

With the purchase of a SIM card in the Maldives, there will be no difficulties. You can buy a card of local mobile operators at the airport, right on arrival. You can easily find special kiosks that sell SIM cards.

The sales office is located in the business center. To find it, when exiting the baggage claim area, turn right. Here are the offices of mobile operators. The purchase of a sim card is carried out upon presentation of a passport: at the time of purchase, the tourist signs the registration form.

However, beware of Friday : this is a public holiday in the Maldives and sales points may not work.

Also on the resort islands in hotels there are small shops where you can buy a sim card if you did not have time to do it upon arrival. There are specialized points of sale on local islands. Often, sim cards are offered by the locals themselves or the resort staff.

MAIN MOBILE OPERATORS IN THE MALDIVES

There are two mobile operators in the Maldives: Ooredoo and Dhiraagu. They cover 99% of the territory of the Republic of Maldives. Even if you are traveling on a public ferry or between local islands, mobile communications and the Internet will still be with you in the Indian Ocean. Dhiraagu is considered to have the best coverage. And Ooredoo breaks more on local islands.

There are two types of tariffs: prepaid and postpaid. Postpaid plans are more suitable for local residents who pay the bill once a month.

HOW TO CALL CHEAPLY FROM THE MALDIVES

There are payphone cards in the Maldives. However, they are no longer in demand. They prefer to call using instant messengers, leaving payphones in the distant past. Within the Maldives themselves, the cost of calls is low. International rates are also available.

Ooredoo

  • The cost of an Ooredoo sim card is 30 MVR (about $2). 20 MVR will be available on your account. The cost of calls in the Maldives depends on the time of day and ranges from 0.49 to 0.89 MVR per minute on the network. If you make calls to other numbers, then 0.69-0.99 MVR per minute. It’s cheaper to call after 11 pm and on Fridays, weekends.
  • The cost of one minute of international communication is 1 MVR.
  • Unlimited calls and messages to local operators can be activated for 10 MVR per day.
  • To call at a discount to international numbers, you need to dial “011” instead of “00”. However, not all countries receive a discount.

Dhiraagu

  • The Dhiraagu sim card costs 30 MVR. After the purchase, you will have 20 MVR on your account. The cost of a call depends on the time of day and ranges from 0.55 to 1 MVR per minute, depending on the operator and time of day. Cheaper to call after midnight.
  • For international numbers, you can call with a 10% discount by activating the “5 favorite numbers” service, 2 of which can be international. You can also get a discount on international calls if you dial “019” instead of “00”. However, the discount does not apply to all countries. Packages are valid for a month.

MOBILE PACKAGES IN THE MALDIVES

  • The minimum amount of traffic is 500 MB for 99 MVR ($6), the maximum is 12 GB for 900 MVR ($58). The 2 GB package costs 199 MVR ($13). To activate the card, you need to call *929#.
  • Dhiraagu offers internet for your phone or tablet. The smartphone package offers unlimited daily packages. However, it includes 2 GB. After use, the speed drops, but there is no charge for additional megabytes. For the tablet plan, the cost is about 200 MVR ($13), which includes a SIM card and a top-up voucher for 100 MVR. Next, select the rate of your choice. For example, 6 GB is 500 MVR ($32).

TOUR PACKAGES IN THE MALDIVES

Both operators offer travel packages.

Dhiraagu Tourist Fares

  • Traveler Premium for $50: 30 GB, 300 minutes of calls (domestic), 300 SMS + $9.50 credit – SIM card is active for 14 days.
  • Traveler Plus for $30: 17 GB, 150 minutes of calls (in the country), 150 SMS + $6.50 credit – SIM card is active for 14 days.

Dhiraagu has many different rates and plans. You can get acquainted on the  official website of Dhiraagu .

Ooredoo Travel Rates

  • Tourist  Plan  30 for 491 MVR (about $30):  17 GB, 150 minutes of calls (in the country), 150 SMS + 100 MVR on the account – the SIM card is active for 30 days.
  • Tourist  Plan  50 for 818 MVR (about $50):  30 GB, 300 minutes of calls (in the country), 300 SMS + 150 MVR on the account – the SIM card is active for 30 days.

Ooredoo has many different rates and plans. You can get acquainted on the  official website of Ooredoo .

HOW TO TOP-UP YOUR SIM-CARDS IN THE MALDIVES

You can replenish the balance at the offices of mobile operators, as well as using ATMs. To check your account balance, you should use the application of the operator in the Maldives.

To always stay in touch, it is better to purchase a SIM card from one of the two mobile operators in the Maldives. But it’s even better to completely turn off the phone and completely surrender to relaxation: social networks will wait, and gorgeous photos from the Maldives will always have time to collect likes.

Mobile operators in the Maldives. Internet and mobile communications in the Maldives. How much does a SIM card with internet cost in the Maldives? What is the best mobile Internet in the Maldives? Does the Maldives have good internet? What is the internet speed in the Maldives? Is there a 5G network in the Maldives?