BajaNomad - Unlocked HTC One cell phone in Todos Santos

Unlocked HTC One cell phone in Todos Santos

pauldavidmena - 6-21-2013 at 03:33 PM

I just bought an unlocked HTC One cell phone that I am currently using with T-Mobile in the U.S. I would like to be able to use the phone when I visit Todos Santos for a week in July, but I'd rather not pay the $1.99 per minute international roaming charges. What are my options? Can I buy a SIM card in Todos Santos (or at the airport in Cabo?)? Can I purchase a SIM card ahead of time online? Am I better off just getting a loaner for the week? I can able to use the phone over WiFi without a carrier, but that won't help me if I'm stuck someplace while out and about.

pauldavidmena - 6-21-2013 at 03:41 PM

By the way, when I visited in January and did nothing, I was essentially off the grid unless I was connected to WiFi. Not entirely a bad thing...

BajaNomad - 6-21-2013 at 07:59 PM

Depends on how much time you expect to spend on the phone perhaps?

If you're there for only a week, it might be best to just pay the $1.99/minute "if" you get stuck out and about - 'cause if you're already on a regular t-mobile plan, the wi-fi calling minutes are off your regular plan at home.

Otherwise, you might want to consider a Movistar or Telcel SIM card.

Here's the Movistar info:

http://www.movistar.com.mx/movil-prepago-sim-hablar-navegar

http://www.movistar.com.mx/movil-cobertura

I believe Telcel still has better coverage however. You may want to verify this first if that's a make-it-or-break-it factor.

BajaNomad - 6-21-2013 at 08:03 PM

http://liferemotely.com/trip-shenanigans/mexico/138-prepaid-...

monoloco - 6-21-2013 at 08:31 PM

You can always download a free magic jack or talk a tone app for your phone that will let you call numbers in the US over wifi.

BajaNomad - 6-21-2013 at 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco
You can always download a free magic jack or talk a tone app for your phone that will let you call numbers in the US over wifi.

Not necessary with t-mobile phones that have "wi-fi calling" such as the HTC One. The phone simply does that out-of-the-box. If you connect via wi-fi anywhere in the world, it just uses your regular plan's minutes at home.

http://t-mobile-coverage.t-mobile.com/4g-wireless-broadband-...

monoloco - 6-21-2013 at 08:45 PM

Nice!

BajaNomad - 6-21-2013 at 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco
... talk a tone app for your phone that will let you call numbers in the US over wifi.

Ahhh... thank you for noting this one. Talkatone and Groove IP appear to be alternatives... free or pay versions have calling over 3G/4G data, as well as wifi. In other words, instead of using minutes, they can use wireless data-only within the wireless provider's coverage area (if no wifi access is available).

Some people are switching their wireless phones (sometimes even old ones) to standalone no-wireless-plan, wifi calling phones (using Talkatone, or Groove IP). In fact, some are gloating about saving $700 or more per year by shutting off what they view as their now unnecessary wireless plans.

http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57575244-285/3-android-a...

monoloco - 6-22-2013 at 06:48 AM

I don't have a smart phone, I just use cheapo prepaid phones for the country I happen to be in, but I have Talk a tone on my ipod touch and it works well to call US numbers from Mexico and Central America as long as I have a decent wifi connection. By the way Paul, for your local calling in Todos Santos, you can get a prepaid phone with 200 minutes for about 350 pesos from one of the local Telcel stores.

pauldavidmena - 6-22-2013 at 07:00 AM

T-Mobile coverage is spotty where I live, so being able to make and receive calls via WiFi certainly comes in handy. We'll have WiFi where we're staying in Todos Santos, so it will only be when we're in transit that it's useful.

In January, when we arrived at Los Cabos airport Dominic's Car Rental tried to reach us, but his calls went straight to voicemail (retrieved once I had WiFi reception). Having some sort of access might have saved us ten minutes of wandering around the airport looking like gringos.

shari - 6-22-2013 at 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by pauldavidmena
Having some sort of access might have saved us ten minutes of wandering around the airport looking like gringos.

WOW Paul...I was rather shocked to see your avatar...I believe you win the prize for the most original one...I havent seen anyone in a TIE for a long time...looks so strange!!!!

Ummm...if you are worried about losing 10 minutes on something, baja may not be the best place for you! :lol:

pauldavidmena - 6-22-2013 at 07:16 AM

shari - as for the ten minutes, I think it was more the human sharks sensing fresh bait than any real concern over time - although admittedly we were anxious to relax and have a margarita in Todos Santos.

The photo was taken on my cell phone on my way to an interview in downtown Boston. I won't be dressing quite as formally in Baja! :coolup:

pauldavidmena - 6-22-2013 at 07:26 AM

BajaNomad - thank you for the link to "Life Remotely". What a great site!

pauldavidmena - 6-22-2013 at 12:03 PM

I'll probably activate international roaming with T-Mobile so that I can be in contact between the Los Cabos airport and Todos Santos, and then switch to a SIM card when I want to make local calls. The question is: does Movistar have good coverage in Todos Santos (particularly in Las Tunas), or am I better off with Telcel? I don't expect to use the phone very much, but you never know...

monoloco - 6-22-2013 at 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pauldavidmena
I'll probably activate international roaming with T-Mobile so that I can be in contact between the Los Cabos airport and Todos Santos, and then switch to a SIM card when I want to make local calls. The question is: does Movistar have good coverage in Todos Santos (particularly in Las Tunas), or am I better off with Telcel? I don't expect to use the phone very much, but you never know...

You are better off with Telcel, IMHO.

mrfatboy - 6-23-2013 at 06:31 AM

If you decide to get a telcel sim you need to go to a main office and bring your passport. Here is a link to their main office locations.

http://www.telcel.com/portal/contactanos/cacs/begin.do

I think you can also buy them online but they are pricery ($30). Never tried it though. PM me if interested and I might be able to dig up the link.

pauldavidmena - 6-23-2013 at 06:39 AM

I just found a website called http://www.mexicosimcard.com/ that claims to sell Telcel and Movistar SIM cards online. Can it really be that easy?

mrfatboy - 6-23-2013 at 06:45 AM

That was the link I was going to send you

I'm glad you found it. As for being easy? Never tried it. I bought my sim telcel sim in mexicalli last month. $12. Plus I put $10 on the card for minutes and data plans. It worked perfectly in Cancun/PDC. great reception and fast data.

mrfatboy - 6-23-2013 at 06:48 AM

On a side note, other family members used a different website to get moviestar sims. They never got them working. Might have been user error tho.

pauldavidmena - 6-23-2013 at 07:54 AM

I can confirm that the website will take your money - $24.95 for the SIM card (and 15 minutes of phone time) before adding data or additional minutes. I'll provide an update once I get the card.

mrfatboy - 6-23-2013 at 08:41 AM

I am definitely interested to see if the website works. Some other tips would be setting up your online telcel account once you receive your sim so you can charge up online with a credit card and check balances. Also download the mitelcel app.

If you put in the sim in the states you should roam on AT&T. Expensive roaming rates apply.

pauldavidmena - 6-27-2013 at 07:28 AM

It looks like my Telcel SIM card should arrive in today's mail. Does anyone know if there's a way to test it without incurring a roaming charge? I'd love to verify that it's actually working before I try to use it in Todos Santos.

mrfatboy - 6-27-2013 at 07:59 AM

When you pop the sim in it should say AT&T as your carrier on top of your phone screen. That means you are roaming on AT&T in the states and your sim is working. You should to be able to text to telcel to see balance and activate data plan before entering Mexico if need be. I did all of this on my iphone. ymmv.

I have read that some android phones require you to change the apn settings on your phone to finish the configuration. Again. Ymmv.

Www.Unlockit.co.nz. Does this for you. Just make sure you are on wifi to do it.

mrfatboy - 6-27-2013 at 08:08 AM

I found this snippet regarding telcel sims and android phones. I'm not sure if its current but maybe give you a start.

Here they are for your information. Note this is for an Android phone, iPhones and blackberry will be different. You can find more settings for other phones here. http://www.unlockit.co.nz/mobilesettings/settings.php?id=15

INSTRUCTIONS ON ACCESSING ANDROID APN SETTINGS
Press Main
Select Settings
Select Wireless and Networks
Select Mobile Networks
Select Access point Names
Delete all APN’s in this section.
Press Menu
Press New APN
Enter the follow settings one for General Data . The other for MMS

TELCEL DATA SETTINGS
Name: MX – Telcel Web
APN: internet.itelcel.com
Proxy:
Port:
Username: webgprs
Password: webgprs2002
Server:
MMSC:
MMS Proxy:
MMS Port:
MMS Protocol: WAP 2.0
MCC:
MNC:
Authentication Type: PAP
APN Type: default, supl

TELCEL MMS SETTINGS
Name: MX – Telcel MMS
APN:
Proxy:
Port:
Username:
Password:
Server:
MMSC:
MMS Proxy:
MMS Port:
MMS Protocol: WAP 2.0
MCC:
MNC:
Authentication Type: PAP
APN Type: mms

pauldavidmena - 6-27-2013 at 08:09 AM

@mrfatboy - thank you for the tips! Assuming it arrives as expected, I'll pop it in today and check it out.

pauldavidmena - 6-27-2013 at 06:10 PM

Hmmm... when I put in the SIM card, my HTC One displays an icon that indicates that there is no SIM card in the phone. I wonder if this is because the package I purchased isn't activated until a day before my departure? I'll email Mexico SIM Card to confirm, as I don't want to find out the card is non-functional when I'm in Mexico.

pauldavidmena - 6-27-2013 at 06:33 PM

Update: I thought to power cycle my phone, after which I received the following text message:

"Telcel te regala un Paquete Ideas con servicios y contenidos."

I was also asked if I wanted to activate international roaming (I declined). I'm assuming this means that the SIM card is functional after all?

I've since put my T-Mobile SIM back, not wanting to inadvertently incur any unnecessary charges.

mrfatboy - 6-27-2013 at 07:25 PM

Sounds like its working. Was it roaming on AT&T when the telcel sim was in? Do you have any extra money on the card just in case? Minutes and data are different. I believe once the phone is empty of money the phone stops working even even data is active. Then you have to go get a topup card.

pauldavidmena - 6-28-2013 at 08:11 AM

It never said that it was Roaming on AT&T, but it did offer to activate international roaming for Data connections, on what I presume was AT&T. I may try putting the SIM card in again today, perhaps changing the APN settings as well to see if the phone shows that it is roaming on AT&T. My concern is whether or not I'll need to reset my APN settings to get back on T-Mobile.

mrfatboy - 6-28-2013 at 08:53 AM

I'm not sure if android phones require new apn settings or not. Maybe depends on phone model? I do read people needing to do it tho. My iphone handles the apn automatically (tested with a telcel sim and Vietnam sim).

I would change the apn settings as a last resort.

What's you primary use for the phone in Mexico? Phone, data(Internet, text, data) both?

pauldavidmena - 6-28-2013 at 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrfatboy
I would change the apn settings as a last resort.

That's my plan. Being paranoid, I'm bringing hardcopy of the T-Mobile settings as well as those from Telcel just in case.

Quote:

Originally posted by mrfatboy
What's your primary use for the phone in Mexico? Phone, data(Internet, text, data) both?

I'm thinking strictly local calls (Realtor, restaurants, etc.) or for emergencies, but perhaps for occasional data (e.g. uploading photos taken by the phone), although I'll try to save that sort of thing for when I have a WiFi connection. I did purchase 1.5 GB of data and 50 minutes of voice, which I'm frankly hoping is more than I need on both accounts.

mrfatboy - 6-28-2013 at 10:01 AM

i would think 1.5 gigs is plenty. I bought 400megs for a week in cancun. I constantly sent pictures back to states, email, internet, text and used about 300 meg. YMMV. We were down for a wedding with family all spread out over the place so keeping all the cats herded was a challenge

pauldavidmena - 6-28-2013 at 10:24 AM

I'm hoping the card works as expected. If that's the case, then I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this company. The card arrived earlier than expected, and when I had an issue, they responded immediately (at night even).

mrfatboy - 6-28-2013 at 10:41 AM

download the mitelcel app for android. That way you can easily check your balances and usage.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.speedymovi...

mrfatboy - 6-28-2013 at 10:44 AM

You might have to register and create an account first at

http://www.telcel.com/portal/home.do

Do this while in the states on a computer. It's easier.

pauldavidmena - 6-28-2013 at 10:57 AM

@mrfatboy - Thanks again for the timely tips. I need to put the SIM card back into the phone in order to register for Mi Telcel, which I'll do after my work day ends.

pauldavidmena - 6-30-2013 at 01:08 PM

The SIM card is in and shows that I am roaming in the AT&T network on behalf of Telcel. I called my wife's cell and my Mexican phone number showed (I hung up). Lastly, I registered for MiTelcel, so hopefully I'm all set for when we head down to Todos Santos at the end of the week!

pauldavidmena - 6-30-2013 at 01:19 PM

Hmmm... when trying to install the Mi Telcel app on my phone, I received the error message "This item cannot be installed in your device's country". I'm wondering if I need to be in Mexico in order to install it? Or maybe I need to do it when the Telcel SIM is in the phone (I put the T-Mobile SIM back)? Lastly, could it really be a limitation of the HTC One?

mrfatboy - 6-30-2013 at 03:28 PM

I installed mitelcel in the U.S. under Verizon. On my iphone. Not sure about htc one.

You don't have to the telcel sim in. I can use and see my telcel account with either sim.

pauldavidmena - 6-30-2013 at 03:37 PM

Thanks again for the timely reply. I'll email HTC and/or look on the Android forums to see if I can figure things out.

mrfatboy - 6-30-2013 at 05:45 PM

Android phones might want you to be in mexico to download mexico apps. It depends. I find it strange because people do roam in the US on telcel and need to review their account via the telcel app. Maybe just a bug/oversight on google plays part.

Now, not to bog you down in geek details but if you are so inclined you could turn on your VPN and set it for Mexico so it looks like you are in Mexico so you can download the telcel app.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry and have fun todos santos. It will work out

pauldavidmena - 7-2-2013 at 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrfatboy
Now, not to bog you down in geek details but if you are so inclined you could turn on your VPN and set it for Mexico so it looks like you are in Mexico so you can download the telcel app.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry and have fun todos santos. It will work out

I'm a bit of a geek myself, and besides, I don't like being befuddled by a technical pothole. Do you mean to set up the VPN on my phone to point to a Mexican proxy server? I've never done it myself, but I'm familiar with doing this in the browser.

mrfatboy - 7-2-2013 at 09:33 AM

Correct. If Google Play is blocking you from downloading mitelcel because you are in the states (which I find a little strange) I would try to use a VPN to make it look like you are in Mexico. Usually it's the other way around. You have to use VPN to get into the states :lol:

I'm sure there are many VPN services for android. I just not familiar with any.

Having the VPN is a good thing anyway to look like you are in the states for some apps. Pandora and facebook are some examples. While in Cancun last month my brother in law's Time Warner email was blocked but my using my VPN got him connected.

BTW, Telcel let's you tether for your phone (make your phone a wifi hotspot) for free. Comes in handy if friends or even yourself have a laptop, etc and need a connection.

pauldavidmena - 7-2-2013 at 11:09 AM

The plot thickens. I just subscribed to Overplay, which provides VPN access to 60 different countries - including Mexico. I was able to make a connection to that VPN from my phone, but still couldn't install the MiTelcel app. I continue to get the error "This item cannot be installed in your device's country". I wonder if Google Play is using my current location regardless of the fact that I'm tunneled into a Mexican VPN. :?:

pauldavidmena - 7-2-2013 at 11:54 AM

It occurred to me that I can shut off the location service on my phone, so I did that, but still receive an error - a different one. This one is "this application is incompatible with all of your devices". That sounds very odd to me.

On the plus side, I know that I can just go to the MiTelcel website from my laptop - which I plan to bring with me.

mrfatboy - 7-2-2013 at 03:35 PM

Android is a little foreign to me. My buddy can add apps via his browser (google play) and they sync to his android phone. Does that trick it or do you still get the error?

What if you insert the telcel him, turn off 3g/lte data (go into airplane mode) and the turn on wifi. Maybe use the vpn also. Does that work?

mrfatboy - 7-2-2013 at 03:38 PM

I guess you can try downloading the app from a different store. Be careful tho.

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+download+mitelcel+and...

pauldavidmena - 7-2-2013 at 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrfatboy
Android is a little foreign to me. My buddy can add apps via his browser (google play) and they sync to his android phone. Does that trick it or do you still get the error?

When I do this from the browser it magically knows the make and model of my cell phones and does the same thing.

Quote:

Originally posted by mrfatboy
What if you insert the telcel him, turn off 3g/lte data (go into airplane mode) and the turn on wifi. Maybe use the vpn also. Does that work?

I thought this was a great idea. Sadly, I got the same error as above, as well as the error below if I decided to click "Install" anyway.

I *hate* to concede defeat, but I'm starting to become convinced - with the Telcel SIM in, Airplane mode on and tunneled into a Mexican VPN - that it might be that the HTC One is incompatible with the app. I'll try to see if I can corroborate this from an online forum. In any case, I truly appreciate your efforts to troubleshoot.

mrfatboy - 7-2-2013 at 05:37 PM

I had my friend try with an old HTC Droid Incredible 2. He is getting the same error. Did you try downloading the app from a non Google Play store? I'm out of answers now but I will never admit defeat! LOL

tiotomasbcs - 7-2-2013 at 06:07 PM

Quite the Tecno- tele Baja discussion?! PD, you said you did fine w/o a cell phone on your last Baja visit, verdad? For most of us here it's best left to minimal usuage. Myself, I remember before telcel-Moviestar cell towers. Fax was new? We all met at The Message Center!? They zap us here like they do in the north. $$ disappears quickly so it is best to just forget about it! My family just has to snail mail me. Eliminates alot of BS, in my opinion! Anybody else remember those "Old Days"? It seems like yesterday to me. Tio

monoloco - 7-2-2013 at 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tiotomasbcs
Quite the Tecno- tele Baja discussion?! PD, you said you did fine w/o a cell phone on your last Baja visit, verdad? For most of us here it's best left to minimal usuage. Myself, I remember before telcel-Moviestar cell towers. Fax was new? We all met at The Message Center!? They zap us here like they do in the north. $$ disappears quickly so it is best to just forget about it! My family just has to snail mail me. Eliminates alot of BS, in my opinion! Anybody else remember those "Old Days"? It seems like yesterday to me. Tio

I remember going to the caseta in Los Barriles where we had to fill out a slip with the name and # of the party we were calling, then the lady would hand crank the phone to get your party on the line.

pauldavidmena - 7-2-2013 at 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tiotomasbcs
Quite the Tecno- tele Baja discussion?! PD, you said you did fine w/o a cell phone on your last Baja visit, verdad? Tio

@Tio - Usted tiene razón! When I visited in January, I found myself without cell phone access for a week. Given my high tech job, living off the grid unexpectedly was strangely liberating.

On the other hand, the purpose of this trip is to find out whether or not we can live in Todos Santos when I finally retire a few years from now. Chances are that my wife will continue to work, meaning that connectivity to the outside world - and specifically the US - will be vital to her business. While this will definitely be a vacation, it's also a "test drive" of sorts, hence my geeky experimentation.

mrfatboy - 7-2-2013 at 07:32 PM

I like a challenge. I don't always use the tech when I'm down there but I sure like to know how to use when I need it. :biggrin:

Sort of a techy MacGyver sort of thing.

5 years ago I got a kick out of calling my college buddy from the Miramar Bar in San Felipe from my ipod touch (just because I could) He was in Japan. I was sipping on a cold one and ask if he was wearing any "ribbons of shame". Of course, pictures were sent also. LOL

Point Mrfatboy. LOL

@paul
I like geeky experimentation also. I look forward to hear how it works out for you. Someday, I to, look forward to retiring to mexico. I especially want to hear if that mitelcel app gets download in Mexico.

pauldavidmena - 7-3-2013 at 01:14 PM

I did a little bit of Googling this afternoon, and found a number of articles about MiTelcel support on the HTC One and other cell phones running Android 4.1.2 ("Jelly Bean"). My Spanish is fairly primitive, but I know what "basura" means. See http://www.badappreviews.com/apps/113599/mi-telcel

mrfatboy - 7-3-2013 at 02:04 PM

Dare I say.....iphone! :lol:

pauldavidmena - 7-3-2013 at 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrfatboy
Dare I say.....iphone! :lol:

I work at an Apple shop, but I'm strictly a DIY Linux guy. And since Apple's support of Linux is virtually non-existent - despite OSX being based on BSD - I'll live with the bumps and tweaks of Android.

monoloco - 7-3-2013 at 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pauldavidmena
I did a little bit of Googling this afternoon, and found a number of articles about MiTelcel support on the HTC One and other cell phones running Android 4.1.2 ("Jelly Bean"). My Spanish is fairly primitive, but I know what "basura" means. See http://www.badappreviews.com/apps/113599/mi-telcel

From the link:
La calificación debería ser Cero- no sirve de nada, para que quieres ver el monto de la factura si esa te llega al mil, mam.adas de telcel como siempre... :lol:

pauldavidmena - 7-7-2013 at 08:42 AM

A funny thing happened when we got to Todos Santos and I tried to install the MiTelcel app on my phone (with the Telcel SIM inserted). It worked immediately. :yes:

What didn't work - and what still doesn't work - is my data connection. It's not the SIM card, as MiTecel correctly tells me that I've used 0 bytes of my allotted 1.5GB. Not a big deal when I have access to WiFi, but annoying when that's not the case. I've emailed the provider of the card, but so far have not heard back.

mrfatboy - 7-7-2013 at 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by pauldavidmena
A funny thing happened when we got to Todos Santos and I tried to install the MiTelcel app on my phone (with the Telcel SIM inserted). It worked immediately. :yes:

I'm in San Felipe now. Just back from Gonzaga. I think you might want to try the apn settings now. Use the link I gave you above. Also make sure you have your data on.

pauldavidmena - 7-7-2013 at 03:46 PM

Good news: I had already changed the APN settings without success, but it was more a function of the signal strength in Las Tunas, Todos Santos than anything else. I wandered around our casita and noticed the comforting "4G" icon in certain parts of the house. Closer to downtown Todos Santos, my data connection was nice and strong.

Thanks so much for your persistent help! Next time, I think I'll wait until I'm in Todos Santos before purchasing a SIM card, as my only option with Telcel via mexicosimcard.com was the Mexico City area code (55). Still, I'm happy to be connected, and I might need it if Erick strands us. :rolleyes:

Ateo - 7-7-2013 at 04:12 PM

I remember the old days of walking into the Larga Distancia's to check in with Mom and Dad. This has been an interesting thread.

mrfatboy - 7-7-2013 at 04:15 PM

That's great. Glad to help. When you purchase the sim from telcel make sure it's one of there main offiices. I know you can't buy one in San Felipe. I had to go to the mexicalli office. I might have posted the link to the locations in this thread. If not. Telcel.com and poke around.

Google voice is clear as a bell here. Have you tried the tether option with another phone or laptop?

pauldavidmena - 7-7-2013 at 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrfatboy
Google voice is clear as a bell here. Have you tried the tether option with another phone or laptop?

I have. If I have a good 4G connection, it can be faster than WiFi.

pauldavidmena - 7-14-2013 at 08:50 AM

The pre-paid Telcel card worked out amazingly well. We lost internet in the casita a couple of times, and were able to get by sharing my 4G connection quite well. We used less than a quarter of the 1.5 GB purchased. I only used the phone itself once. My only question mark comes from the fact that the Telcel card comes with a Mexico City (i.e. 55) area code, which put off a couple of local contacts.

Made the switch back to my T-Mobile SIM card during our connection in Houston. I feel like I've returned from the Witness Protection Program.

monoloco - 7-14-2013 at 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by pauldavidmena
The pre-paid Telcel card worked out amazingly well. We lost internet in the casita a couple of times, and were able to get by sharing my 4G connection quite well. We used less than a quarter of the 1.5 GB purchased. I only used the phone itself once. My only question mark comes from the fact that the Telcel card comes with a Mexico City (i.e. 55) area code, which put off a couple of local contacts.

Made the switch back to my T-Mobile SIM card during our connection in Houston. I feel like I've returned from the Witness Protection Program.

Does that mean your local calls are billed as long distance?

pauldavidmena - 7-14-2013 at 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco

Quote:

Does that mean your local calls are billed as long distance?

I think so. And if I called a Todos Santos cell phone, the person receiving the call would pay the long distance charge as well. Purchasing a pre-paid Movistar SIM card from the same vendor would allow me to choose the area code, which might be what I do next time. I ended up choosing Telcel over Movistar due to coverage concerns, but my understanding is that the latter has perfectly good reception in and around Todos Santos.

mrfatboy - 7-14-2013 at 10:59 AM

I was under the impression that phone calls are never paid by the receiver. Is that not the case for sure?

monoloco - 7-14-2013 at 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by pauldavidmena

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco

Quote:

Does that mean your local calls are billed as long distance?

The problem that we found with Movistar is that most of the people we know are on Telcel and it costs a lot more to call a Movistar phone from a Telcel phone.

pauldavidmena - 7-14-2013 at 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrfatboy
I was under the impression that phone calls are never paid by the receiver. Is that not the case for sure?

In the U.S. cell phone users pay for received calls as well as outgoing calls. I was assuming it was the same in Mexico, but I could be wrong.

monoloco - 7-14-2013 at 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pauldavidmena

Quote:

Originally posted by mrfatboy
I was under the impression that phone calls are never paid by the receiver. Is that not the case for sure?

In the U.S. cell phone users pay for received calls as well as outgoing calls. I was assuming it was the same in Mexico, but I could be wrong.

For Telcel whoever initiates the call pays. Even if there is no saldo on your phone, you will still be able to receive calls.

pauldavidmena - 7-14-2013 at 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by monoloco
For Telcel whoever initiates the call pays. Even if there is no saldo on your phone, you will still be able to receive calls.

Good to know that my Mexico City area code didn't scare anyone away. Thanks for the reply.