Where will you actually have signal in Mauritania?
That's the question worth asking before the trip. Mauritania is 1.03 million km² of which about 90% is in the Sahara, with a population of just under 5 million people, most of them concentrated around Nouakchott on the Atlantic coast and a few inland towns — Nouadhibou (the iron-ore port), Atar (the gateway to the Adrar plateau and the famous train), Kiffa, Néma. The cellular network covers the capital and the trunk roads workably, the regional towns adequately, and the desert almost not at all. The Iron Ore Train, the country's most famous travel experience, runs through 700 kilometres of nothing — the train has a track, the desert does not have cell antennas. Plan accordingly.
Anyone promising blanket coverage from Nouakchott to Zouérat is selling you something. We're not.
How is Roamzy's price calculated?
Roamzy charges $19.15 per gigabyte in Mauritania. That's $0.0187 per megabyte, billed in real time on Mauritanian networks. No subscription, no expiry, no minimum bundle. One per-MB rate across 192 countries.
A typical visitor uses 0.3–0.5 GB per day on cellular, with hotel and lodge Wi-Fi handling the heavier work: maps in Nouakchott, the WhatsApp to a driver or guide, the camera-translator on Arabic and French signs, voice notes home, the rare bank-app push. Call it 0.4 GB/day:
| Trip length | Roamzy ($19.15/GB) | Tourist roaming pass | Local SIM at Nouakchott |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days (~1.2 GB) | $22.98 | $30–80 | $5–15 + KYC and a passport scan |
| 1 week (~2.8 GB) | $53.62 | $60–140 | $10–25 + paperwork |
| 2 weeks (~5.6 GB) | $107.23 | $120–280 (often two passes) | $15–35 + 30-day cap |
Competitor prices in columns 3 and 4 are 2025 ranges based on typical offerings; exact figures depend on your home carrier and the airport store you visit. Roamzy's rate in column 2 is our actual published rate from the pricing page.
A local SIM at Nouakchott-Oumtounsy is workable for a longer stay. For a short trip — particularly one centered on the iron-ore train experience — the eSIM is the lighter call.
Where is Roamzy reliable, and where isn't it?
- Nouakchott (Tevragh-Zeina, Sebkha) — 4G across the working capital and the Atlantic-coast road
- Nouadhibou — solid LTE in the iron-ore port and surrounding industrial zone
- Atar, Chinguetti, Ouadane — 4G in the towns of the Adrar plateau; sparse on the access tracks to the historic libraries and rock formations
- The N1 between Nouakchott and Rosso — LTE across most of its length
- The iron-ore train (Nouadhibou–Zouérat, ~700 km) — signal at the start and end stations and a couple of stops; nothing for hours in between, including most of the night ride
- Banc d'Arguin coastal zone — patchy at the populated points, sparse on the wetlands
- The deep Sahara — assume nothing; satellite communication country
If you're crossing the country overland or riding the train, offline-cached maps and a satellite messenger are baseline kit. The eSIM is for when you're back on the network.
How do I install my Roamzy eSIM?
| Plug type | Voltage | Frequency | iOS | Android |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type C | 220 V | 50 Hz | iPhone XS+ | Pixel 3+, Galaxy S20+ |
- Sign in to Roamzy via Telegram or Google
- Top up with a minimum of 20 USDT — stablecoins, no cards, no banks, no FX surcharges
- The QR code appears in the dashboard once payment confirms
- Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → scan QR
- The counter starts when you land at Nouakchott-Oumtounsy (NKC)
Supported stablecoins and common setup errors are in the FAQ. The dashboard handles top-ups in USDT.
What are Roamzy's honest limitations?
The cellular network covers the populated coast and a handful of inland towns. The Sahara — the part of the country most travelers come for — is geography no eSIM cures:
- No welcome promo that flips on the second top-up. Top-up #1 and top-up #20 cost the same per megabyte.
- No fine-print throttling. One rate, full speed where there's signal — first GB and the tenth cost $0.0187/MB.
- No auto-renewal. Balance runs out, the eSIM stops.
What if my route continues across the Sahel?
- Mali — overland east, separate country rate
- Senegal — overland south across the Senegal River, common rotation
- If you want the underlying mechanics — how roaming actually gets priced and why it hurts