Which Phone Operator to Choose in Tonga
Replace expensive roaming bills and crappy WiFi with a local SIM card in Tonga! Keep in touch with home, post your whale selfies and keep on getting great travel tips on TongaPocketGuide.com by getting yourself a Tonga SIM card. There are two phone networks in Tonga, UCall (TCC) and Digicel Tonga. Both carriers sell SIM cards for around TOP$5, but the value of the prepaid phone plans is what determines which is the best SIM card in Tonga for travellers! We compare plans, prices and coverage, as well as explain how to purchase phone plans in the guide below! Note that prices are approximate to give a general idea of the ever-changing rates.
For more phone advice, see What is the Best SIM Card for Tonga.
How to Purchase Mobile Plans in Tonga
To use your Tonga SIM card, you’re going to first need to purchase some credit. Phone vouchers can be purchased at various convenience stores (fale koloa) around Tonga, TCC (UCall) and Digicel Tonga stores and TCC customers can also get them at local ANZ bank ATMs. Digicel customers can also purchase credit online at the Digicel Tonga website, while UCall customers can purchase credit from ding.com. Digicel Tonga also has a mobile app where you can purchase credit.
Once you have credit, you can select and purchase the mobile plans that we compare in the guide below. To purchase mobile plans, you need to dial *120# for UCall and *123# for Digicel and go through the USSD instructions. Plans can also be purchased on the Digicel website and mobile app for Digicel customers.
Oh, and by the way, you might want to make sure your phone will work with SIM cards in Tonga. Check out What Are the Tonga Phone Networks? for specifications.
(c) tongapocketguide.comTonga SIM Card Data Plans
Let’s be honest, most of us visiting Tonga only really need to access the Internet, whether it’s to video call home or brag on social media about your whale swim. Compared to using your home phone network’s roaming plan, you’re bound to find better value in the local network data plans. Both UCall and Digicel Tonga offer affordable data plans of various times and “Gigs”.
UCall (TCC) Data Plans
- 24-Hour Bundle, 1GB for around TOP$3
- 2-Day Bundle, 1GB for around TOP$4
- 7-Day Bundle, 2GB for around TOP$10
- 14-Day Bundle, 5GB for around TOP$15
- 30-Day Bundle, 7GB for around TOP$20
- 30-Day Bundle, 15GB for around TOP$45
Digicel Tonga Data Plans
- 1-Hour Bundle, 100Mb for around TOP$1
- 24-Hour Bundle, 200Mb for around TOP$2
- 7-Day Bundle, 500Mb for around TOP$3
- 7-Day Bundle, 1Gb for around TOP$5
- 14-Day Bundle, 2.5Gb for around TOP$10
- 30-Day Bundle, 6GB for around TOP$20
- 30-Day Bundle, 15GB for around TOP$50
(c) tongapocketguide.comTonga SIM Card Call and Text Plans
Yes, phone calls and texts are still a thing and something you might find useful as a visitor in Tonga. Many accommodations and activity providers in Tonga only list phone numbers as ways to contact them, with online bookings still not being super popular. So if you want to make bookings or get some information, you’ll find it just a phone call away.
UCall Call and Text Plans
- 24-Hour Bundle, 100 mins and 100 texts for around TOP$1.25
- 5-Day Bundle, 250 mins and 250 texts for around TOP$4
- 10-Day Bundle, 500 mins and 500 texts for around TOP$6
- 30-Day Bundle, 1,000 mins and 1,000 texts for around TOP$10
Digicel Tonga Call and Text Plans
- 24-Hour Bundle, 200 mins and 200 texts for around TOP$2
- 7-Day Bundle, 1,000 mins and 1,000 texts for around TOP$5
(c) tongapocketguide.comOther Phone Plans for Tourists in Tonga
Tonga might not be home to “tourist SIM cards” but the local phone carriers do offer a couple of more prepaid phone plans that might be useful for visitors.
Other UCall Phone Plans for Tourists
One of the things that tourists might find appealing about UCall is the fact that their TOP$5 SIM Card comes with 500 minutes, 500 texts and 500Mb included. For those not wanting to overuse their phone in Tonga, this starter phone plan might be all you need!
Alternatively, UCall has an All-in-One plan that combines calls, texts and data in one plan, which may be more useful for certain visitors. They are as follows:
- 2-Day Bundle, 100 mins, 100 texts and 22Mb for around TOP$4
- 5-Day Bundle, 250 mins, 250 texts and 500Mb for around TOP$10
- 10-Day Bundle, 500 mins, 500 texts and 1Gb for around TOP$15
- 30-Day Bundle, 1,000 mins, 1,000 texts and 2Gb for around TOP$30
- 30-Day Bundle, 2,000 mins, 2,000 texts and 5Gb for around TOP$50
Other Digicel Tonga Phone Plans for Tourists
Digicel Tonga’s International Bundle is well worth considering for keeping in touch with home. This bundle allows customers to call selected countries (and selected phone networks in selected countries) for 40 minutes for around TOP$4. The bundle is valid for 24 hours. Selected countries include the USA, Hawaii, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Digicel Samoa, Digicel Vanuatu, Digicel PNG, Digicel Nauru, Digicel Fiji, China, Ireland, South Korea, UK, India, Taiwan, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, Indonesia, Japan and Spain.
(c) tongapocketguide.comThe Best SIM Card for Coverage in Tonga
Being the state-owned telecommunications company with already a monopoly on landlines and ADSL Internet access, UCall (TCC) has the most coverage in Tonga. UCall has 4G and 3G coverage in Tongatapu and Vava’u, as well as 3G coverage across many of the other populated outer islands.
Digicel Tonga has less coverage across Tonga, but still offers 4G coverage in the most populated areas and where most tourists visit.
More About the Best SIM Card in Tonga for Travellers
