How does international texting/calling work in El Salvador?

I have a friend who is currently visiting family in El Salvador. I’m aware that they don’t have any or much cell service unless you pay for it in that area but she has an American phone so just uses wifi to text and call when she’s at her family’s house. When she leaves the house with her phone my messages or calls don’t deliver/go through at all.
It’s just weird because I spoke with her last about 2 weeks ago now and my Calls and messages are not going through HOWEVER- every few days or so, my message will deliver. Just not often. When I see it delivers I try to send another one and the next one does not go through again…. Is it possible that she’s out and gets enough spot of service just for my message to deliver and then it goes away again? I just worry that’s all and I’m not very tech savvy. But I’m assuming that’s what happens. She’s not home with her family so she doesn’t have wifi for my messages/ calls to go through but every so often wherever she is- gets maybe a small spot of service and it will go through? Then back to no service.

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reflectingmonkey · 51-55, M

how close are you? when I travel a barely stay in contact with anyone except my parents because my mom will worry to death but I have communicated with my folks from all over the world, even remote mountain villages in Nepal or in the Amazon forest. sometimes in areas with weak wifi video-calls don't work but texting always works. does the icon say the messages were read or just received? usually there are 3 stages : 1:sent but not received, 2: received but not seen, 3:seen. maybe if you are worried you can contact family of hers who she would definitely be in contact with?. one time I was in Peru and forgot to write to a friend of mine to tell him I was ok and when I did he was freaking out.

Sb356 · 26-30, F

@reflectingmonkey what phone service do you have? Also is your phone an iPhone or an Android? Cause I know the phone carrier and phone type makes a lot of difference. we are pretty close we’re like sisters and talk every day. That’s why this is not normal. She only has iMessage activated which she can only use with wifi because she hasn’t paid her phone bill. So basically if she isn’t connected to a wifi network, we can’t talk. When I send messages now, they don’t say anything… but if it went thru it will tell me that they delivered. That’s why I’m thinking she’s not at her family’s house where the wifi is connected. I’m just wondering where she is😞

reflectingmonkey · 51-55, M

@Sb356 if the message has been delivered its because she was, at least for a moment, in a wifi zone and she just didn,t look at her messages. when I travel I usually use only wifi communication apps although buying a local chip is really easy and its what most people do now. I have an android phone and I use mostly messenger, whatsapp and signal. has she communicated with you at all since she's arrived?

Sb356 · 26-30, F

@reflectingmonkey yeah that’s what I’m thinking. If she’s visiting family in the areas where she can’t connect to wifi maybe she doesn’t know when a wifi spot hits really quickly and just receives my messages without being able to text back. Yes she’s been out there for a while already and we have communicated since she got there. It’s only within the last 2 weeks I haven’t heard anything from her. I’m assuming either her wifi at grammas disconnected or she’s been staying with her other family (uncles aunts) who don’t have wifi maybe. I’m just trying to keep positive.

reflectingmonkey · 51-55, M

@Sb356 any family members that you know for sure she would stay in contact with or know how to reach family from over there? not to increase your worry but if its atypical of her to not contact you maybe you should speak to her family to see if they have news, phone number or facebook page of family members?

Sb356 · 26-30, F

@reflectingmonkey I guess I can look on Facebook but as close as I am to her I don’t really know her fam that much and maybe met them like once. It doesn’t hurt to try!

reflectingmonkey · 51-55, M

@Sb356 what about family of hers that lives close to where you live?

Sb356 · 26-30, F

@reflectingmonkey yes those are the ones I referred to in my comment above :)

reflectingmonkey · 51-55, M

@Sb356 oh ok, are you facebook-friends with any of them? or maybe some that have met you already? I'm just feeling for you how awkward it might be. but being worried for your frind is an honorable reason to cross over certain bounderies.