found this, hope it helps:

Yes, it is possible to connect your iPad (or iPhone) for a bargain price to the Cable&Wireless (Movil) 3G cellular network in Panama, but it takes some careful steps. I'll explain how to do it.
Go to the Cable&Wireless central store on Via Espana in Panama City (or maybe any other CW store?). Take your iPad, a cellular phone (you need to send text messages to activate the account) a pair of scissors (you need to trim down the SIM card to a miniSIM) and a paperclip. At the store you buy a SIM card for $1 and a $14,95 data plan for one month (1Gb max).
Data plans for one day cost $1 but don't mix monthly and daily data plans with the same SIM! I tried a one day plan first to see if I could get it to work. It did, but then I had major trouble to change the one-day account into a one month account. What happens then is that after one day your $14,95 credit is eaten fast by hefty data fees and stops... This happened to me twice and only a lot of talking to the friendly girls at CW got my account re-activated, so then buy another 1$ SIM with no one-day-history.
So you got the SIM and the $14,95 monthly plan. Insert the SIM in your cellphone, unlock the SIM and activate the monthly plan with the code *456# talk/send.
Now compare the SIM with the (AT&T) MiniSIM already present in your iPad and trim it to the same size. Insert the MiniSIM in the iPad and unlock it. There is one final important step. In Settings> Cellular Data> APN Settings you fill in at the APN line: apn01.cwpanama.com.pa
No username or password is required. Presto! Your cellular data is activated and you have a month of Internet all over Panama! Enjoy! The same thing goes for your iPhone, but then I would bring another cellphone for texting and incoming calls on your usual cell number. good luck! Martijn Schroevers

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If you want to avoid huge roaming charges, I would suggest you purchase a one month program either from Cable & Wireless or Claro Com. Panama is wired, there are many hotspots around town, which would provide free navigation. Either of the other will run you way too much money, (ATT or Verison)

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Thank you for your answer, but Apple only offers 3g units configured for Verizon or AT&T and these are the only options.
Are any of the local wireless companies partnered with either Ipad configuration do you know?

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You can run via wireless or roaming then, unless your Ipad is jailbroken. If you run roaming, you could, depending on use, have roaming bills in the thousands of dollars. Best to turn that feature off before landing.

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