Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Power & telecom standards in Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Connectivity Overview
Tempest Telecom offered dial-up internet access, WiFi hotspot access and broadband ethernet access in Virgin Islands (U.S.). We also offered Iridium satellite Internet and Voice access in Virgin Islands (U.S.) for communications in rural areas without infrastructure.
Virgin Islands (U.S.) uses 110V at 60Hz. Power outlets are type A, B and telephone jacks are RJ-11.
Dial-up Internet Access
Tempest Telecom provided local dial-up access numbers in Virgin Islands (U.S.) at $0.155/minute. Travelers could connect using any standard modem with an RJ-11 telephone adapter.
WiFi Hotspot Access
Tempest Telecom provided WiFi hotspot access in Virgin Islands (U.S.) at $19.95/day for unlimited browsing.
Adapters & Power
North American (Type A/B) plugs are compatible. An adapter may not be needed for US travelers.
Standard RJ-11 jacks are used. Most international modems will connect without an adapter.
Virgin Islands (U.S.) at a Glance
- Capital
- Charlotte Amalie
- Phone Code
- +1-340
- Voltage
- 110V / 60Hz
- Power Plug
- A, B
- Phone Jack
- RJ-11
- Currency
- US Dollar
- Dial-up
- $0.155/min
- WiFi
- $19.95/day
About connectivity in Virgin Islands (U.S.)
The US Virgin Islands uses 110V/60Hz with Type A and Type B outlets, matching US standards (the USVI is an unincorporated US territory). The phone jack is RJ-11. The country code +1-340 is part of the North American Numbering Plan and the currency is the US Dollar. AT&T USVI and Viya (formerly Innovative Telephone) operate the principal networks.
The USVI's economy combines cruise-tourism (Charlotte Amalie is one of the Caribbean's most-visited cruise ports), the petroleum refining sector (HOVENSA on St. Croix, closed 2012), and US federal employment. Commercial Internet adoption tracked mainland US standards from the 1990s onward, with the territory's integration into mainland AT&T plans simplifying retail offerings substantially.
Tempest Telecom served the USVI through Caribbean regional dial-up coverage. The cruise-industry support customer base, the petroleum-sector engineering customer base, and the yachting industry transiting between St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix sustained Iridium demand. Wi-Fi hotspot access at $19.95/day became standard at the major Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted hotel properties through the 2000s.
Modern USVI has 4G LTE coverage and expanding FTTH; the 2017 Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria substantially disrupted infrastructure that has since been rebuilt.
Tempest's services across Virgin Islands (U.S.), 1997–2012
Tempest Telecommunications operated international connectivity services in Virgin Islands (U.S.) between 1997 and 2012 under a unified prepaid account that absorbed multiple service types onto a single customer credential. Customers in Virgin Islands (U.S.) drew from the same balance for pre-paid international voice calling, RADIUS-authenticated dial-up Internet roaming, metered Wi-Fi hotspot access, Iridium satellite voice, and Inmarsat BGAN data terminals. An attempted kiosk-payment federation (PATN, 1998) extended the same architecture to public Internet terminals but failed to reach scale.
Iridium satellite voice was available in Virgin Islands (U.S.) from approximately 2001 (post-bankruptcy relaunch). Thuraya coverage did not extend to Virgin Islands (U.S.); Inmarsat BGAN data terminals filled the broadband gap from late 2005.