Cotonou - Post Report Question and Answers
Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
MTN all the way. - Oct 2024
We use MTN. - Feb 2020
Local provider. The embassy provides employees phones and prepaid chips can be easily obtained for others. - Aug 2018
You can get one on the local market. - Oct 2015
MTN and MOOV have the market wrapped up pretty tightly. Prepaid credit is sold everywhere. - Jun 2015
USG direct hires are issued phones. The work...more or less. Plans are cheap. Smartphones work here, including live streaming. Bring something unlocked if you like, otherwise plan on picking up something cheap and disposable. - Aug 2014
The embassy issues cell phones and BlackBerries to all direct hires. Family members can sign up for local plans when they get here. It is possible to use an iPhone, for those who care about that. - May 2013
Get one when you get in country. - Mar 2013
The Embassy issues cell phones to employees. Otherwise, get an unlocked, quad-band, GSM mobile phone and prepaid SIM card from MTN or MOOV. The SIM card will cost about $20 USD up front and the refill minutes cards can be purchased from vendors who are never more than 15 feet from you at any time. The mobile service is good in town and fair in the countryside. Mobile calls are cheap and mobile phone calls to the States run about 12 cents a minute. Smart phone data plans are also available from the major carriers. - Dec 2011
