BajaNomad

Cell phone service

Howard - 3-25-2024 at 06:33 AM

I know this has been covered in the past but would like the current information in regards to Baja cell phone service.

For 20 years I have had AT&T and been very satisfied with coverage NOB as well as Baja.

I need a new phone and AT&T has no deals for my plan. I might want to change carriers and keep my same phone # as other carriers will sell iPhones for a lot less than AT&T will.

What carriers have you used that you are very happy with in Baja coverage?

Gracias

BooJumMan - 3-25-2024 at 06:44 AM

I have several co workers in Mexicali and I'm pretty sure all of them use T-Mobile for USA/Mexico service.

PaulW - 3-25-2024 at 08:36 AM

T-Mobile
Check it out

BajaBill74 - 3-25-2024 at 09:58 AM

Yes T-Mobile

stillnbaja - 3-25-2024 at 10:29 AM

ask for Carly ;)

BornFisher - 3-25-2024 at 10:50 AM

I`m bummed I switched from T-Mobil to ATT. I pay for unlimited data for Baja but was charged for data while on a cruise (in port only). After about an hour going back and forth, they took half off. They said I should have the phone in airplane mode. Trouble is you can`t get data in airplane mode. Att is just horrible to deal with if you have an issue. T-Mobil was great the one time I helped a friend with an issue.

surabi - 3-25-2024 at 12:57 PM

Another option is to just buy a Telcel Sim card and pay-as-go Sin Limites "paquete", that you can put more $ on at any OXO.
And if you have a phone that has the dual Sim card you can keep your NOB number and just switch back and forth as needed.
The Sin Limites paquetes don't come with tons of data, though, so if you're a heavy data user, it might not be adequate.

TLBaja79 - 3-25-2024 at 02:49 PM

This was my experience as of Spring 2023

Prior to 2022 we had Verizon and it worked great all over Baja especially in Loreto

Then we switched to T Mobile (way Cheaper) which worked just as good as Verizon

For work reasons we had to switch to AT&T. Most recent trip we flew in/out of Loreto, no other Baja and it was barely usable. It was so slow it hardly worked, data didn't work unless on wifi, most texts didn't go through, etc...

Android and iPhone

Didn't think I'd get to try out 3 different providers over the past year but we did and thats our experience.

Howard - 3-25-2024 at 03:14 PM

So, in summation you guys are saying that T/Mobile is just fine and dandy in Loreto and pretty much everywhere in Baja where TelCel is?

pacificobob - 3-25-2024 at 05:37 PM

At&t data is painfully slow in bcs

You need an unlocked phone for T-Mobile

AKgringo - 3-25-2024 at 05:49 PM

I just got back from the T-Mobile shop here in Grass Valley CA, and thier entry level (pre-paid) plan would cost me $15/mo + $5 for Mexico/Canada coverage.

That is half of what my ATT prepaid plan costs, but they were not able to unlock my ATT Moto G phone. They had the same phone available, but it was almost triple the price I paid for mine at Target.

Target sold me a Verizon Samsung that they said was compatible with T-Mobile, and was also 1/3 the price of the T-M version. It also did not work!

I am leaving for Baja tomorrow or the day after, and intend to buy an unlocked phone at Best Buy somewhere along the way and have T-Mobile put their sim card in it

For at least part of the trip, I should be able to compare the service of the two plans wherever I go. The performance difference (if any) will determine which plan I keep.

I understand that pre-paid plans are likely to receive less band width on some towers than contract services, but this will be dualing pre-paids.

I hope the T-Mobile works out, ATT has annoyed me more than a few times over the years!

Marc - 3-25-2024 at 07:01 PM

It's getting harder & harder to find an area with no cell service!:lol::lol::lol:

surabi - 3-25-2024 at 08:49 PM

"I just got back from the T-Mobile shop here in Grass Valley CA, and their entry level (pre-paid) plan would cost me $15/mo + $5 for Mexico/Canada coverage.
That is half of what my ATT prepaid plan costs".

For reference, Telcel Sin Limites costs me 150 pesos, the equivalent of a little over $9, for 25 days (might be 28 days, can't remember at the moment), with unlimited calling and texting anywhere in Mexico, the US, and Canada. Comes with 2GB of data and social media sites Facebook, whatsapp, instagram, X, snapchap, Messenger, are not counted towards the 2GBs of data.

If someone is just coming to Mexico on a short vacation, I understand it doesn't make sense to get a Telcel SIM card, but if you spend months in Mexico, I don't get why anyone would pay $20 or more/month to a US provider rather than half that for Telcel.

[Edited on 3-26-2024 by surabi]

bajabrant - 4-1-2024 at 11:32 AM

check out ultra mobile works well for me $15/mo

Pre-paid ATT is crap!

AKgringo - 4-1-2024 at 07:54 PM

I am in La Paz right now and my phone works, but for most of the way down Mx 5 and south on 1 voice service was not available! I have been told that contract phones get better service, but my pre-paid is extremely marginal out of any major population center.

I regret failing to get a T-Mobile phone before I crossed into Baja, I would love to have compared the service.

Finding a suitable WIFI location on Easter weekend also sucked!

Howard - 4-2-2024 at 09:36 AM

Ironic because I have been with AT&T prepay and have been pleased with the cell coverage in Baja. Maybe the other carriers are better, I don't know. I just know that all the AT&T deals on phones are not available to us who have prepay plans. I have paid $40 a month for years and satisfied with that.

AKgringo - 4-2-2024 at 11:07 AM

When I have service, Telcel is shown as the carrier, except for here in La Paz where it shows ATT.

I was traveling during the easter week end, so maybe the system was overloaded.

I also have the $40 plan, which worked better the last time I was here.

BajaMama - 4-3-2024 at 12:01 PM

My AT&T plan roams on TelCel, MovieStar and one other I think. AT&T in the Yucatan but not in Baja. Cell service is okay, I get a little data early in the morning when Mulege isn't hogging all the bandwidth. House is in Punta Chivato, kinda remote. But in Santa Rosalia Mulege even when the phone says 5 bars I just don't get usable data. Loreto seems to work better.

surabi - 4-3-2024 at 02:35 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
When I have service, Telcel is shown as the carrier, except for here in La Paz where it shows ATT.

I was traveling during the easter week end, so maybe the system was overloaded.

I also have the $40 plan, which worked better the last time I was here.


You should be able to manually choose the carrier. For instance, if it is showing as ATT when you are in LaPaz and you aren't getting good reception, you could switch it to Telcel to see if it works any better.

Also, when you are in transit, and you find reception poor or nonexistent (keeping in mind there are some always dead zones with no reception), it could also be caused by electricity issues at a cell tower, rather than a carrier or phone provider issue. Happens from time to time where I live. My internet from my internet provider (a private company) will suddenly go out, and the cell signal as well. My internet provider's main tower in my town is right next to the Telcel tower, so when they both go out, I know the issue is with the CFE connections at the towers.


[Edited on 4-3-2024 by surabi]