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Two networks cover the Bahamas, BTC and Aliv, and a prepaid SIM or eSIM from either is the cheapest way online once you are off the airport Wi-Fi. Nassau and Freeport get solid 4G from both; coverage gets patchier the further you travel into the Out Islands.
Buying a local SIM or eSIM
BTC, the former state monopoly now majority-owned by Cable & Wireless Communications, and Aliv, the newer challenger backed by Cable Bahamas, are the two mobile network operators licensed by the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA), which oversees the country’s electronic communications sector. Both sell prepaid SIMs at their own stores and at Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau; you will need a passport to register one.
Aliv’s standard prepaid plans run from a 1-day Freedom5 plan with 2GB of data for $5 up to a 30-day Liberty120 plan with unlimited data for $120, with mid-tier options such as the 7-day Freedom15 (3GB, $15) and the 30-day Liberty40 (5GB, $40) in between; all prices include local VAT. BTC’s answer for short stays is a Tourist eSIM launched in March 2026, sold as a 1-day plan with 12GB of data or a 4-day plan with unlimited data, both bundled with 3,000 minutes to on-network numbers and 3,000 minutes to the US and Canada; it can be bought and activated online before you land, or picked up in person at a BTC store.
Coverage
BTC and Aliv both cover Nassau, Paradise Island and Freeport on Grand Bahama well, with 4G reaching most populated areas. Coverage gets patchier the further out you go: the Out Islands’ main settlements generally have a usable signal from at least one operator, but service thins to weak or no coverage once you are between islands, out at sea, or away from a settlement’s centre. Neither operator publishes a settlement-by-settlement coverage map, so check with BTC or Aliv directly, or ask locally, if your itinerary depends on a signal on a specific Out Island.
BTC and Aliv run a domestic roaming agreement that lets either operator’s customers pick up the other’s signal where their own network has no tower nearby, so a SIM from either company gives you a reasonable fallback rather than a hard cut-off once you leave Nassau or Freeport.
Roaming from home
The Bahamas sits outside the EU/EEA, so a European or UK phone plan falls back to standard international roaming rates rather than any EU-style cap, and a US or Canadian plan’s “free roaming in the Caribbean” terms vary a lot by carrier. Check your own operator’s Bahamas rate before you fly; for anything longer than a weekend trip, a local prepaid SIM or Tourist eSIM will usually work out cheaper and faster than roaming on a home network.
Wi-Fi
Resorts, hotels and marinas across New Providence and Grand Bahama generally offer free Wi-Fi for guests, though speed and reliability drop off at smaller Family Island guesthouses. Several beach bars and restaurants on the main tourist strips also offer free Wi-Fi to customers, usually with a password printed on the receipt or menu.
Practical tips
- Bring your passport to buy or register a SIM; both operators require it at the point of sale.
- Confirm your phone is unlocked before you travel, since unlocking it is not something a Bahamian shop can do for you.
- If you are island-hopping by boat or small plane, buy a SIM from whichever operator has stronger coverage on your planned route rather than assuming Nassau’s signal quality will follow you.
- Download offline maps for any trip into the Out Islands’ interiors or between cays, since data can drop out well before you are out of sight of land.
What to check before you go
- Whether your phone is unlocked and supports the SIM size or eSIM your chosen operator uses.
- Your home carrier’s Bahamas roaming rate, since no EU-style cap applies here.
- Which islands on your itinerary have BTC or Aliv coverage near your planned route, especially beyond Nassau and Freeport.
- Whether a short Tourist eSIM plan or a longer standard prepaid plan better matches the length of your trip.