Using a US based cell phone in the DR

Add international plan and make sure it cover DR

I'm not 100% sure but if you have wifi calling available with ATT as long as you have access to wifi you can make calls as if calling from the USA. I live in the DR and have dual simm on phone one with my USA # and one with my Dominican #, use local # for everyone that uses whatsapp here and in USA and my USA # mostly for business and family in USA and when traveling back home and here mostly when I have wifi access and it cost nothing extra to make calls.

I have Mint on an android phone. I set Settings/Connections/Wi-Fi Calling to ON and have been able to call US numbers with no Roaming charges.

MINT has a feature where you deposit money into an International Calling account. They charge 10 cents a minute for any calls made to a DR number while using the WIFI calling in the DR.

The obvious problem is that you're at the mercy of the quality of your internet connection. And that can make WIFI calling a totally useless option.

I have a N=1 experience with internet companies. My provider's tech has not kept one promise he's made and has essentially done nothing to fix the issues during the 5 weeks that I've been in the house.

I use Simple Mobile free international roaming in the DR my monthly bill is 26 a month.

Check out best buy or Walmart and activate in the states

ATT is the highest in international Caribbean roaming Charges

The thing with wifi calling is that if you lose your wifi in call , it don't drop the call . It will stay connected and rack up your internal roaming with out you knowing.

When we used to visit and when we first moved down, we had AT&T phones. As late as 2020, they had an international roaming plan for $40/month. No limits on use. It worked well for us - usually just buying it on my phone and my husband would just rely on wifi.

@ddmcghee

I almost don't even care if we can't make calls to the US. I mostly just want to be able to take pics and (maybe) text. What I don't want is to end up with a giant surprise bill because our phones connected with a cell tower somewhere along the line.

AT&T suggested putting the phones in airplane mode...

we changed to local service and use revolution to call mexico and whatsup to call the states. less headaches.

@Mark and Al Yes, airplane mode is the only way to guarantee you won't connect to roaming service! I needed to have internet access/data when we were away from wifi - for directions, any emergency contacts from family, etc.  The international plan worked well for us. AT&T also had a daily $10 international roaming option, so if there is an emergency and you needed to, you could take it out of airplane mode and have access.

@Alfonso Ayala.  What carrier did you use for your DR number ?