Guinea-Bissau

It runs on Spacetel, the local carrier operating inside Guinea-Bissau (network provider: Spacetel). Speeds are 2G and 3G rather than 4G or 5G, so this is a modest connection by design. It is genuinely reliable for the things that matter here though: maps, WhatsApp and email all work fine. Just set your expectations for slower loading than you would get in a 4G or 5G market.

You get 2G and 3G across Bissau and the main coastal population centres. Bissau, Bafata, Gabu and the main RN1 corridor have workable 3G where towers are active. Rural areas away from the capital and the interior near the Guinea border fall back to 2G, fine for text and voice apps but not video. The Bijagos Archipelago is famously remote, so most islands like Orango, Bubaque and Rubane have patchy or no signal. Treat this as a Bissau-and-mainland connection, not an all-country one.

Right after purchase you get a confirmation email with your eSIM details, and you install the profile by scanning the QR code provided. Do this before you fly, over home Wi-Fi or the Wi-Fi at your connecting airport in Lisbon, Dakar or Casablanca. The plan activates automatically when you land at Bissau and switch off airplane mode, registering on Spacetel. Allow a few minutes for the handshake, as 2G and 3G registration can be slower than you are used to.

Most modern smartphones are fully compatible with Blikst eSIMs, though a few exceptions exist, so check our detailed compatibility list to confirm your device. Your phone also needs to be carrier-unlocked. On an iPhone you can check eSIM support under Settings, General, About and look for an EID number; on Android it is in the network or SIM settings. If in doubt, confirm before you travel rather than at the airport.

Less than you might think, partly because the 2G and 3G speeds naturally cap heavy use. A short business trip to Bissau fits easily in 1 to 3 GB across a week. A two-week itinerary with a Bijagos extension only needs 3 to 5 GB, since you will be offline on the islands anyway. Longer mainland stays for researchers or aid workers typically fit in 10 GB a month unless you lean heavily on video calls. Save big downloads for lodge Wi-Fi.

Yes, tethering and hotspot use are supported on this plan. Bear in mind the realistic limits, though: speeds are 2G and 3G only, so hotspot-heavy use is not practical, especially in rural areas that drop to 2G where there is barely enough for text and voice apps. Sharing a connection for light tasks like maps or messaging is fine, but do not expect to run a laptop video call or stream off it.

This is a data plan, so you call and message over the internet rather than the traditional phone network. Apps like WhatsApp work brilliantly here and are the default for guesthouses, drivers and tour operators across West Africa; voice notes use less data than calls, which helps on slower connections. Because the eSIM is a separate digital line, your physical home SIM and number can stay in the phone, just keep data roaming switched off on that line.

Generally yes. Most Western carriers either do not support Guinea-Bissau at all or charge prohibitive out-of-bundle rates, easily around $15 per MB in some cases. Getting a local Spacetel or MTN-Areeba SIM means passport registration, a visit to a proper shop since airport kiosks are unreliable, and some French or Portuguese for the paperwork. A Blikst plan is simply the easiest way to land with data already working on the same Spacetel network.