Cellular communications in Tunisia Beeline. Cellular operators in Tunisia

We were on vacation in Tunisia, I bought a local SIM card, but I couldn’t find anywhere how to use the Internet. I’ll say right away that I needed mobile Internet, not calls. Perhaps it would be more correct to title this article “mobile Internet in Tunisia”.
So. I bought a SIM card from a guide for 20 dinars, where 1.5 gigabytes of services were already activated. These SIM cards are also sold in hotel shops. When buying, they ask for some reason - you need a SIM card for calls, or for the Internet. The operator is OOREDOO (IMPORTANT, there are others), stable 4G was everywhere - on the beach, at the hotel, on the way anywhere. Prices are in dinars (Dt), the exchange rate was 2 dinars for 1 dollar.
Website - http://www.ooredoo.tn/. The problem is everything is in French.
I bought a SIM card from a guide, he activated something there himself, but after checking the balance, I realized that I could activate another 250 megabytes.
So - ask for a SIM card at OOREDOO stalls, you bought it, what should you do next?
Balance check: *100# and call button. The balance in dinars will appear. Interestingly, my SIM card had one dinar on its balance, which allowed me to independently activate another +250 megabytes. To top up your balance, you can buy a card for 5 dinars, the balance will be 5 dinars after entering the code that is indicated on the other side. This is what the replenishment card looks like.

How to check how much internet is in the activated package.
Command from phone: *124*0# and call button
We see the menu:

Enter the number 3: Suivi Forfaits internet Flexi. And we get:

In this case: almost a gigabyte of Internet.

How to activate the Internet package. Command: *124# and call button:

A menu appears as above. We need point 3, enter the number 3, and the “Submit” button.
The following menu appears, with a list of packages. Interestingly, there is no dependency - “The larger the package, the cheaper the gigabyte,” so there is no point in activating a large package. 1 gigabyte - 4 dinars, 250 megabytes - 1 dinar.

We dial, for example, the number 3 (1 gigabyte), and go to the menu with detailed information about the package, and to confirmation of the purchase of the package (you can just look at the details, do not confirm if it’s not what you wanted):

It is written that 1 gigabyte costs 4 dinars. To confirm, you must enter the number 1 and click the "Submit" button.

That's all, relax and stay in touch with your family and friends.

Are you going to Tunisia in the spring to enjoy warm weather and an excellent excursion program, or are you planning to visit this country in the summer? After all, here you can have a great rest and enjoy your beach holiday to the fullest (summer is no longer suitable for excursions, it’s hot). This means that information about the tariffs of local operators will be useful to you.

There are 4 major cellular providers in Tunisia:

Tunisia Telecom

Ooredoo (formerly called Tunisiana)

For those travelers who plan to buy a local SIM card upon arrival, we recommend choosing either Tunisia Télécom or Ooredoo. These operators have better coverage. We can also recommend a SIM card from Orange (currently the company’s network coverage is 87 percent).

Starter packages can be purchased mainly at branded points of sale of cellular companies. An exception is that SIM cards from the Orange company can be purchased in specialized stores for 5 dinars, or received absolutely free in the arrival hall (orange kiosk).

The market leader is Ooredoo. The operator has the greatest coverage and provides good quality communications. You can buy a SIM card in operator stores. Tourists are offered several tariffs to choose from, the best is Awal á la carte (since the subscriber is provided with 800 MB for free). In addition, SIM cards called Holiday (work for 90 days) are also beneficial. The operator offers tourists bonuses: for replenishing the account by 5 dinars, the amount doubles +100 percent, for 10 dinars the bonuses will increase to 200 percent. Regarding the Internet, the operator offers different data packages from 125 MB for a day to 12 GB for 2 months. Without package activation, the cost of the Internet is 0.4 dinars per 100 KB.

Tunisia Télécom is second in terms of subscriber coverage, but the quality of services is comparable to the first provider. Mobi prepaid SIM cards can be found at branded points of sale. The account is replenished with vouchers in denominations from 1 to 20 dinars. However, it is worth remembering that they charge an additional 10 percent for services. The validity period of a SIM card depends on the amount that will be replenished into the account and ranges from 10 to 180 days. The operator offers SIM cards only for the Internet. A tourist can order 500 MB for 2 days for 2 dinars, or connect to another package offered by the operator.

The Orange company offers to connect different tariffs; the tourist should choose the most suitable one. For example, under the terms of the Zen and 3alami plans, 1 GB will be credited to the subscriber’s account after 10 dinars have been spent. But in the case of Orange, it is not necessary to connect a data package, because the operator offers the lowest data prices by default at 0.4 dinars per 1 MB.

Lycamobile offers SIM cards for free to subscribers, but to activate it you need to top up your account. As for the Internet, the operator offers several packages to choose from:

200 MB for 1 day for 0.8 dinars.

800 MB for 3.20 dinars for a week.

1 GB for 5 dinars per month.

This is not to say that local offers for tourists are not enough, but searching, activating and connecting will take time. By the way, when purchasing a SIM card, you are required to present your passport. If you do not want to worry about purchasing a SIM card on the spot, we advise you to study the GlobalSim offer.

The operator offers Internet in Tunisia for 0.50 cents per megabyte and the ability to use voice services. More details at. Please note: GlobalSim's coverage area is 200 countries, in many the operator offers free incoming calls and communication via Viber for 0 rubles.

SIM cards for tourists in Tunisia are very affordable. For just 10 dinars (3.5 euros) you will receive a card with 1 GB of Internet for a week.

But buying a local SIM card is not so easy. It’s best to take care of it at the airport, because there may not be a phone shop in your city, and walking around local neighborhoods looking for a SIM card is not a pleasant experience.

In 2019, domestic providers are “imposing” on tourists to use the limits of their plan when traveling abroad. But for holidays in Tunisian resorts, this roaming scheme only works in Megafon and MTS.

At the same time, the service paid daily upon calling or accessing the Internet through a Turkish mobile operator.

Operator	Tariff “Like at home” (calls + internet)
	from 329 rubles/day ()
	from 450 rubles/day ()
	from 250 rubles/day ()

Plan Features:

• Megafon makes it possible to pay as you go for roaming services. Calls to Russia will cost 99 rubles. Internet 10 rubles per 1 MB.
• At MTS you can refuse the Internet and pay only for calls.
• Beeline gives 50MB of internet per day for 250 rubles + everything else on top

A week of active phone use in Tunisia will cost 3-5 thousand rubles.

SIM cards for tourists

Differences and characteristic features of tourist SIM cards:

• delivery of cards anywhere in the world leaves cards all over the world
• no monthly subscription fee
• pay only for used (prepaid) minutes and megabytes
• operate in almost all countries of the world

The largest mobile operators in Tunisia

The main mobile operators in the country are three companies:

• Ooredoo

A local SIM card is not too expensive, but to purchase it you will have to leave the hotel premises.

The oldest mobile communications company is, on the market since 1996. The company was once a monopolist, but in 2002 another large operator appeared in the country - Tunisiana, which later changed its name to Ooredoo.

The last to appear on the market was the local representative office of the French telecommunications company Orange S.A. The operator started operating in 2010.

How and where to buy a SIM card

Local SIM cards are sold:

• in communication shops
• supermarkets
• airports

It is best to purchase a card upon arrival at the airport. Because there may not be any communication shops in resort towns. In addition, they are closed on weekends and holidays.

The cost of a tourist SIM card is 10 dinars (3.5 euros). The plan includes:

• 1 GB internet for 7 days
• 5 dinars in the account
• 50% discount on calls abroad (to Russia 0.15€/minute)

In addition, there is a gentle tariffication - receiving incoming calls from Russia can cost half as much as roaming.

To purchase a SIM card you must present your passport. Activation of a phone number may take up to a day. Don't forget to connect your Internet package immediately after activation. Most activation instructions are written in French and Arabic, less often in English.

Money is credited to a mobile account using cards for replenishing the balance, which are sold in all tourist areas of cities. These cards are usually called Recharge GSM and Cartes GSM.

Russian citizens go abroad on vacation every year. Popular destinations; Türkiye, Egypt, UAE, Tunisia. Mobile operator Beeline has made sure that its subscribers can stay in touch during their holidays.

Those traveling to Tunisia need to know how to optimize international roaming costs.

Tunisia is a popular destination, in demand among Russian tourists. Beeline subscribers have the opportunity to connect additional options when going on a trip.

The basic cost of a minute of call from Tunisia is 99 rubles. To optimize costs, the operator offers a number of services, such as:

• "My planet";
• "Planet Zero"
• “The most profitable roaming”;
• and a profitable TP “All for 1800 + roaming” for active users.

How much does it cost to call from Tunisia?

Activation of the “My Planet” option costs 25 rubles. Other services are activated free of charge.

Switching to the “All for 1800 + roaming” tariff plan costs 0 rubles, the subscription fee is 1800 rubles/month.

How to connect?

Activation of special options to reduce prices in international roaming is carried out using the command *110*0071# - challenge.

“The most favorable tariff” does not require activation; it is activated by default on the first call from popular countries.

Activation of the “Planet Zero” service — *110*331# - challenge; shutdown - *110*331# — call button.

TP “All for 1800 + roaming” is connected through your personal account on the company’s website or you can call the number 0674002017 , where the operator will help you connect the tariff.

When traveling outside the country, do not forget to disable unlimited Internet options. Most tourists are advised not to use the Internet during their trip to avoid excessive costs.

How to disable?

You can cancel the tariff by changing your plan. To disable roaming options, use the command *110*0070# - challenge.

Conclusion

The options and TP offered by the Beeline operator help reduce the cost of communication services during trips abroad and allow you to stay in touch with family and friends.

Calling from a hotel room is three times more expensive than from a public pay phone. To communicate with home, it is more profitable to use payphones at international call centers with the inscription Taxiphones Internationales on the blue sign.

Payphones accept coins in denominations of 1 DT, half a dinar and 100 millimes. You can exchange dinars for small coins at the attendant. A call to Russia costs about $1 per minute. Intercity and city communication will cost much less.

During a conversation, watch the counter on the payphone screen and “feed” it with coins in advance. Payment starts from 15 seconds of communication, even if you were just hanging on the line, waiting for an answer. Payphone operating hours: 08:00-22:00

Mobile communications in Tunisia

For mobile communications, you can activate roaming, purchase a SIM card from a local operator, or use a special tourist SIM card. The most expensive option of the three is roaming.

Prices are indicated in rubles

Mobile communications in Tunisia are reliable, but not cheap. It operates according to the European 900 MHz GSM standard. Two mobile operators successfully compete in the country: Tunisiana and Tuntel, and the cost of their services is almost the same. You can compare tariffs and purchase a SIM card at Taxiphones Internationales offices.

To apply, you only need money, a passport and a charming smile if you don’t know French. The Tunisiana card costs about $3. Calls to Russia cost about $0.30 per minute, local outgoing calls cost $0.15. An SMS will cost about $0.12.

Information about tourist maps can be found on the company websites: www.sim-travel.ru, www. travelsim.com, www. goodline.ru

Internet in Tunisia

The Internet in Tunisia is inaccessible and, at such speeds, quite expensive. Despite the fact that the nearest Internet cafe is probably not far from your hotel, the quality of the connection leaves much to be desired.

At best, you will be able to view your mail if the letters do not contain attachments. Other inconveniences include keyboards in French and restrictions on connecting your own laptop. In addition, the staff does not always understand how to set up the connection.

The network of the most popular Tunisian Internet cafes is called PubliNet and CafeNet. The cost of an hour of work on the Internet is about $2. Free Wi-Fi is almost impossible to find. In many hotels, restaurants and cafes, wireless Internet connection will cost you almost $10 per hour.