Options to stay connected are limited in this tiny French territory.
St. Pierre and Miquelon is a self-governing territory of France, located near Newfoundland, Canada. With just 6,000 inhabitants, it’s not a well-traveled country. However if you find yourself headed that way, consider investing in a local prepaid SIM card to cut down on your roaming charges for calls and texts. Data is not included on SIM cards in St. Pierre and Miquelon, but you can use your plan to access Internet hot spots in the territory.
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Mobile network operators in St. Pierre and Miquelon
There are two mobile network operators in St. Pierre and Miquelon. They are:
- SPM Telecom
- Globatel SPM
Both operators have 2G networks on the GMS 900 MHz band, which is different from the typical North American 850MHz band. There is no 3G coverage in St. Pierre and Miquelon, the only territory in North America without it. Of the two operators, only SPM offers prepaid SIM cards. Globatel sells subscriptions and does not have Internet access, so will only be discussed briefly in this article.
SPM Telecom
You can purchase either a prepaid SIM or a rolling contract at one of the two SPM Telecom stores. The one in St. Pierre is located at Place du Général de Gaulle. The one in Miquelon is located at 2 Rue des Basques.
The prepaid card is called Ameris Libre, but doesn’t have any mobile data or access to the Wi-Fi network.
Ameris AIR is a rolling contract. It doesn’t have mobile data but it does provide unlimited access to Wi-Fi, although peer-to-peer (P2P) and video streaming are not allowed. The available plans for calls and texts are listed below:
| Price | Minutes | SMS |
|---|---|---|
| EUR14.50 | 30 | 50 |
| EUR29 | 60 | 200 |
| EUR39 | 120 | 500 |
| EUR49 | 240 | 500 |
| EUR59 | 360 | 500 |
There are more than 150 Wi-Fi hotspots in the country. The rates are as follows:
- 10-minute trial, free
- 1 hour, EUR4.99
- 1 day, EUR9.99
- 1 week, EUR29.99
To use the hotspots, connect to network “SPM A la carte” and follow the instructions. Visa, Mastercard and American Express are all accepted.
APN: n/a
Website: http://www.spmtelecom.com/
Globaltel SPM
Globaltel also has Wi-Fi on the islands, but to access it you will need to buy a rolling contract and pay the activation fee for your SIM card. Its Wi-Fi bans the use of VoIP (such as Skype), P2P, tethering, audio streaming and video streaming. It’s a less preferable option for visitors to St. Pierre and Miquelon.
APN: n/a
Website: http://www.globaltel-spm.com/
Pros and cons of St. Pierre and Miquelon’s top SIM card operators
St. Pierre and Miquelon’s mobile network operators are limited. Here are some of the positives and negatives about the two providers.
Pros
Cons