Advertorial | Overview of Major Mobile Carriers in Jamaica: Who Offers the Best Deals?

The following content is submitted and paid for by Redhead Digital Agency

With 83.4% of the Jamaican population using the Internet as of January 2025, the island nation has one of the highest smartphone and Internet penetration in the Caribbean.

Jamaica's extensive Internet coverage is majorly powered by 4G and 4G+ connectivity provided by two major mobile carriers: Digicel and Flow Mobile. Together, these two service providers account for the Internet needs of over 95% Internet users in the country, with an average mobile Internet speed of 23.7 Mb/s and an average broadband Internet speed of 66.4 Mb/s.

Beyond Internet use, there are more mobile phone subscriptions than there are people in Jamaica. As of 2024, the World Bank pegged Jamaica's mobile cellular subscriptions at 112% of the entire population.

Today, we'll be taking a look at the major mobile carriers behind this high rate of mobile penetration.

The Overview of the Market's Majors

As mentioned earlier, the two major carriers for mobile connectivity in Jamaica are Digicel and Flow.

Digicel

Digicel, launched in April 2001, is currently the oldest mobile operator in Jamaica. It also boasts the most coverage in both the rural and urban regions of Jamaica.

Plans and Pricing

Digicel offers both mobile plans and home broadband+TV services across Jamaica.

Their plans include:

· Prepaid plan: Offering voice and data from JM$300 – JM$5,200 for 100 – 3,500 local minutes and 6GB to 80GB worth of data.

· Postpaid plan: Offering voice, data, and unlimited SMS from JM$4,000 – JM$12,000, covering 2,500 to unlimited local and international minutes and up to 200GB data.

· eSIM: From US$12 – US$50, for up to 25GB and 60 – 180 local and international minutes.

· Digicel+: Broadband service with fibre Internet + TV + Apps bundle offering up to 600 Mbps download and upload speeds at JM$8,399 – JM$15,399.

Digicel also offers roaming services, and its wider coverage makes it a good option for both residents and tourists in the rural and urban areas.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Digicel has the most extensive mobile coverage in Jamaica, and also offers the highest average mobile Internet speed of 29.3 Mb/s.

However, its extensive provision comes at a higher cost when compared to its major competitor, Flow.

Flow

Flow began operating in Jamaica in April 2006, mainly offering fibre services until 2015, when it merged with the LIME brand and started offering mobile Internet services, too. By the end of 2024, Flow had over 1.2 million mobile subscribers across Jamaica.

Plans and Pricing

Flow offers both mobile and broadband plans across Jamaica. Their plans include:

· Mobile postpaid: Unlimited social media and YouTube, unlimited calls and SMS, and 30GB – unlimited data, all for JM$2,700 – JM$5,200 per month.

· Mobile prepaid: 12GB – 80GB of rollover data, unlimited local calls and SMS, plus up to 50 minutes of international USA calls for JM$420 – JM$4,900 per month. Up to 8% cheaper when auto-renewal is activated during a Flow top-up.

· Broadband plans: Offers various broadband Internet bundles, including Internet + TV and Internet + mobile, with prices ranging from JM$5,500 to JM$9,500.

Flow also offers both prepaid and postpaid roaming.

The diversity of Flow's offers makes it suitable for personal, residential, SME, and large enterprise use.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Flow has more extensive offers that cover the needs of both the everyday user and enterprises at very competitive prices.

However, its smaller coverage area makes it less accessible to rural dwellers.

Alternative Providers

 

The major alternative providers in Jamaica's telecom market are in the following segments:

· Satellite Internet segment: This includes Starlink and Viasat (through ReadyNet). Starlink has higher coverage and faster speeds, while Viasat has higher latency and more limited coverage, but at pocket-friendly prices.

· Esim segment: This includes Holafly, Airalo, and aloSIM. Holafly is considered to be more reliable, however, it's more expensive than Airalo and aloSIM.

Conclusion

Flow and Digicel are undoubtedly Jamaica's major mobile carriers. Between the two, the best choice depends on your needs and location. Lastly, it is always important to assess your mobile usage (heavy vs. light), compare available plans in your area, and consider testing reliability with a prepaid SIM before committing to any carrier.

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