BajaNomad
Not logged in [Login - Register]
Search the forums Search   Frequently Asked Questions FAQ   View member list Member List   Today's Posts Today's Posts   Forum Stats Stats   Board Rules Board Rules Back to: BajaNomad.com Home

BajaNomad » Baja Road Conditions » Using a Telcel phone in the US or Canada Go To Bottom
Printable Version  
Author: Subject: Using a Telcel phone in the US or Canada
wiltonh
Nomad
**

Avatar


Posts: 300
Registered: 2-2-2007
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 3-13-2016 at 09:15 AM
Using a Telcel phone in the US or Canada

Telcel is in competition with AT&T for the communications pesos in Mexico. In the latest report of the richest men in the world, Carlos Slim dropped a number of positions. The article I read claimed that he had lost 45 billion dollars since the last list was published. He still had something like 27 billion so he is not a charity case yet. Some of that is due to currency devaluation but the new programs he has created to compete with AT&T have not helped.

I have used a Telcel Sim in an old unlocked iPhone for several years down there and it has worked well. A call to Canada or the US was something like 3 pesos per minute. That changed this year and it is now 1 peso per minute.

To compete with AT&T and T-Mobile, they have a new international calling plan which I found interesting. If you have a Telcel phone in Mexico, you can text SL100 to 5050 and activate the plan. The plan gives you unlimited calls between Canada, the US and Mexico. It also gives you unlimited texts. They also give you 200 MB of data that can be used in either of the three countries. The cost of the plan is 100 pesos per month. If you want to run the plan all summer then you would text SL100R to 5050 and it would remove 100 pesos per month from your account. It runs on the T-Mobile towers in the US.

There are several options for refilling your plan. Probably the cheapest way is to setup a mitelcel.com account. It requites a bank card. You can also use something like Pinzoo. This makes a smart phone work in all three countries for less than 6 dollars per month. You can purchase more data if needed.

Another option is to get the Simple Choice plan from T-Mobile which gives you unlimited calls and texts in Canada and Mexico. The data that you purchase in the US can be used in either country. When you cross the border, they send you a text message that says your phone works in Mexico just like it worked in the US.

AT&T has a similar plan but it tries to use the Iusacell towers which do not cover Baja very well. If you have an unlocked iPhone you can go to settings/cellular and turn off automatic. The phone will then spend several minutes searching and come up with a list of all the networks it can see. Choose Telcel as your provider and things will work much better.
View user's profile
Riom
Nomad
**



Posts: 492
Registered: 12-17-2004
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 3-13-2016 at 05:23 PM


I agree Telcel Amigo works well as a phone to use in all three countries, with the new plans. I've been using it for data (and voice/text) on and off in the US and Mexico now since late last year.

I'm quite a low user of cell phones (I mainly use wifi voip) so I've just got the Amigo Óptimo Plus Sin Frontera plan, but the Sin Limites options you mention do look worthwhile if you're likely to have lots of outgoing calls or texts (incoming calls and texts are free in all three countries anyway), or use more than 100MB of data a month.

Telcel still roams on AT&T (3G, not LTE), as well as T-Mobile, at least in this area.

With Telcel Amigo, you only have a Mexico mobile number, which can be expensive to call from some plans and countries, especially legacy non-plan landline rates (up to $3.25/min on AT&T!). It's also hard for some to understand how to call, and it can't be reached as a forwarding number for Google Voice.

So I also have a US incoming number at Localphone.com for 99c/mo, and I set it to forward to the Telcel number. Costs me 3.8c/min for incoming calls, but makes it much easier for people to call me from the US as they just call a domestic number. Plus the calling card and callback features of the Localphone account allow me to call countries outside North America cheaply from the Telcel phone.

Rob
View user's profile
Udo
Elite Nomad
******

Avatar


Posts: 6321
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
Member Is Offline

Mood: TEQUILA!

[*] posted on 3-13-2016 at 05:36 PM


The TELCEL plan also gives you unlimited FACEBOOK in both countries for free.



Udo

Youth is wasted on the young!
View user's profile
wiltonh
Nomad
**

Avatar


Posts: 300
Registered: 2-2-2007
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 3-13-2016 at 09:33 PM


One small change to my original post.

On an iPhone you go to settings/carrier and turn off automatic.

View user's profile

 BajaNomad » Baja Road Conditions » Using a Telcel phone in the US or Canada   Go To Top

 






All Content Copyright 1997- Q87 International; All Rights Reserved.
Powered by XMB; XMB Forum Software © 2001-2014 The XMB Group






"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen. The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez

 

"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt

 

"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes

 

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn

 

"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law






Thank you to Baja Bound Mexico Insurance Services for your long-term support of the BajaNomad.com Forums site.







Emergency Baja Contacts Include:

Desert Hawks; El Rosario-based ambulance transport; Emergency #: (616) 103-0262