BajaNomad

AT&T ¢1 per minute to and from Mexico

CaboJohn - 12-20-2014 at 06:56 AM

I just change my AT&T GoPhone plan to the NEW $55 per month plan, with smartphone data included. Have been using it for a week and yes it is ¢1 per minute both ways! I believe it gives me 2GB per month of data for my iPhone, more than I will ever use.

This new plan is available due to AT&T recent purchase of Grupo Iusacell SA.

Talk
Includes unlimited nationwide calls; and calls from U.S. to Mexico & Canada, calls within Mexico & Canada, and from Mexico & Canada at $.01/minute to select countries listed at www.att.com/gonadp. Other internat’l calls are at standard pay per use rates.

Text
Includes unlimited text, picture, and video messages within the 50 states and Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, and Mariana Islands.

International Text
Includes unlimited text msgs. from the US to Mexico, Canada and over 100 countries Isted at att.com/gophoneintltext. Also includes unlimited text, picture and video msgs. while travelling in Mexico & Canada.

Data
Includes an allowance of data specified in the smartphone or basic phone plan grid, after which unlimited data usage will be at reduced speed of up to 128Kbps for the rest of the 30-day term. Actual speeds vary by device and location.

[Edited on 12-20-2014 by CaboJohn]

yukonron - 12-20-2014 at 08:30 AM

Hey CaboJohn, this sounds great. Timely for me as I am heading to Walmart today to buy a go phone, as per AKgringo's info. I could not find this plan on the ATT website. Where/how did you purchase it? Is it available for all go phones? Thanks.
mary

GoPhone Plans

CaboJohn - 12-20-2014 at 08:45 AM

Go to the AT&T wireless site, click to wireless plans and you will see Smartphone plans listed first, for the Mexico calls choose the $55 plan.
Code:
Where/how did you purchase it? Is it available for all go phones?
After buying a GoPhone years ago at BestBuy I signed up on the AT&T website which allows you to pay by credit card, set up recurring payments, and you can change plans and packages at will. I believe it will work with all GoPhones as it worked with my non smartphone as well as my iPhone. Actually it should work with any unlocked GSM cell phone.


Correction on data provided with plan;
Includes 1GB of high-speed data. Thereafter, unlimited data usage at reduced speeds of up to 128Kbps for the rest of the 30-day term.
If you need more high-speed data the cost is;
Selection Data Packages Expiration (days)
$10 - 500MB Data 30
$25 - 1GB Mexico and Canada Data 30


[Edited on 12-20-2014 by CaboJohn]

[Edited on 12-20-2014 by CaboJohn]

Hook - 12-20-2014 at 01:17 PM

So, there is no requirement to sign up for the 55/month for 1,2,3 years?

You stay with a go phone and go monthly at 55/month, renewing monthly?

CaboJohn - 12-20-2014 at 01:51 PM

NO CONTRACT, pay a month in advance. Don't need to use the phone for a few months don't pay.

You just need to have a phone. They have cheap ones you can buy or bring your own(GSM tech). I just bought a refurbished iPhone, went to a local AT&T store (must be company owned) and asked them for a nano SIM card for the iPhone as my older phone I had been using had the larger MiniSIM. They gave me a free NanoSIM and registered its ID to my phone number on account. Old phone quit working(due to new SIM ID registration for iPhone) and iPhone was live!

I have read the major carriers are trying to get out of the phone subsidy business(annual contracts) and are offering better rates to get customers to switch to pay as you go plans.

I like the no contract offers!:)

Hook - 12-20-2014 at 03:32 PM

If I LIVED on my phone the way some of my friends do (actually, they are my wife's friends!), I could see how this could be a great deal.

But I dont have anyone to text, dont have any Mexican websites I visit and don't talk longer than five minutes. I dont like to chat; I just want the basics like when are we leaving the dock or what time should I be courtside or on the disc golf links?

I guess I could stream baseball on some app. But I have sat radio for that.

Nah, if I got on this plan, I'd probably just FEEL obligated to use the phone more.

msteve1014 - 12-20-2014 at 04:29 PM

I hear you. I pay $.25 a minute on my go phone and still have $ 50 left over at the end of a year.

woody with a view - 12-20-2014 at 04:35 PM

what Hook said, i pay $1/minute on ATT roaming. guess what? i don't make any calls but like to have the phone for emergencies!

but a great deal, nonetheless.

Hook - 12-20-2014 at 05:16 PM

I would do this plan if I spent more time in the States. It would be nice to browse for things by phone. Open Table, an Amazon purchase here and there that could be delivered to where I'm at, weather updates from the truck and camper.

I just cant justify it down here.

Plus, I am finding that some of the areas we like to travel in the US, which are moderately remote (SW Colo, SE Utah, norther NM), Verizon has much better coverage. We are thinking about getting a Verizon go phone and going with one of their voice/data plans. I think they have a 30/month US plans where you can buy more data for pretty cheap, if you need it. One down side is that we would lose our phone number when we terminate after heading back south. No big deal, really.

wiltonh - 12-20-2014 at 06:52 PM

I use an unlocked iPhone with a Telcel simm card. Calls to the states are 13 cents per minute if you put on 200 pesos per month. They also give you 100 reglo minutes which can now be used to buy data at a rate of 2 per megabyte. so that turns into 50 megs of free data per month. We use an app called Text Now which gives unlimited free texting over the internet.

I would be interested to know if the AT&T plan works in areas where Telcel is the only provider?

T-Mobile does a cross with Movie Star but it does not work well in many rural areas.

woody with a view - 12-20-2014 at 06:56 PM

ATT uses the TELCEL network as soon as you cross the border.

AKgringo - 12-20-2014 at 07:07 PM

An agreement between Telcel and ATT is the reason the Go Phone works in Mexico. It seems that Carlos Slim's service is worth two and a half times as much as ATT's. The phone also works in Canada at 39 cents/min.
When I activated my Go Phone, I was able to select which payment plan I wanted to use, so I kept it simple and cheap. I am pretty sure I can change plans and keep the same number, but what I don't remember is if the $55/month plan is inactive for over 90 days, do you lose your number?
I know that if I want to upgrade to something similar to an Android, it is just a matter of swapping the SIM card.

bajalearner - 12-20-2014 at 07:18 PM

Well, that is supposed to be the way it works for me but, it isn't working. I bought a new go phone 11 days ago at Wal-Mart and activated an ATT pay go account. The phone works in the US but hasn't worked in Tijuana. I bought the $45 plan and added the $10 Mexico to/from plan for .01 a minute. I called 611 from TJ and got customer service twice and then the upper level tech support. After all that, nothing. I'm waiting for ATT to figure out the answer...

I'm about to return the phone to Walmart (15 days to return) and try Sprint. I tried Verizon and same problem so I returned that phone 3 weeks ago within the 15 day limit.

AKgringo - 12-20-2014 at 07:25 PM

BajaLearner, Are you calling a US number? If so, enter +, then 1, the area code and number. The only calls I made to Mexican numbers I just dialed the numbers as given to me, but I think they were cell phones.

Riom - 12-20-2014 at 07:47 PM

Quote: Originally posted by wiltonh  

I would be interested to know if the AT&T plan works in areas where Telcel is the only provider?


AT&T still roams only on Telcel, as the purchase of ISAcell by AT&T won't close until next year (this new plan is nothing to do with that deal). (edit: to be more accurate, it maybe exists because of the pending deal, but doesn't use the carrier they're buying, yet).

They'll need to build out the IUSAcell coverage a LOT in Baja before it becomes as good as Telcel or even Movistar. So there could be a period next year, after the deal closes, if they remove Telcel roaming, where the AT&T coverage in Mexico gets much worse.

The data included appears to only work in the US, not in Mexico or Canada, which although to be expected is a big limitation.

As others say, the plan is great if you make a lot of voice calls and texts, and don't mind being limited to a US number. But it's still a lot of money.

I'm a very low user of voice and text, and wifi is good enough for mobile data, so I currently have a Telcel Amigo sim (effectively $4/month to run), and an old T-Mobile "Gold Rewards" sim that I spend about $20 per year to keep, in a dual sim phone, plus some incoming numbers in a few countries that I forward to them ($5/mo) - total around $11/month to keep in touch in Mexico, USA, Canada with a local number in each.



[Edited on 2014-12-21 by Riom]

CaboJohn - 12-20-2014 at 07:59 PM

The added $10 Mexico for .01 a minute is only good for 1000 minutes and only for calls to Mexico not from Mexico.

In TJ a lot of locations will actually have you on the AT&T network from the US. Be sure and look at your phone and see what network it is using, it effects how you need to dial a number. With the $45 plan there should not be any problem using the phone from Mexico unless you don't have additional credit in the account to pay for each minute(¢25 from MX to US) of talk. If you don't have the credit it will not let you place the call. If you switch to the $55 plan you still have to have account credit for each minute(¢1/minute) of talk.
Quote: Originally posted by bajalearner  
Well, that is supposed to be the way it works for me but, it isn't working. I bought a new go phone 11 days ago at Wal-Mart and activated an ATT pay go account. The phone works in the US but hasn't worked in Tijuana. I bought the $45 plan and added the $10 Mexico to/from plan for .01 a minute. I called 611 from TJ and got customer service twice and then the upper level tech support. After all that, nothing. I'm waiting for ATT to figure out the answer...

I'm about to return the phone to Walmart (15 days to return) and try Sprint. I tried Verizon and same problem so I returned that phone 3 weeks ago within the 15 day limit.

CaboJohn - 12-20-2014 at 08:05 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Riom  
Quote: Originally posted by wiltonh  

.......
AT&T still roams only on Telcel, as purchase of ISAcell by AT&T won't close until next year (this new plan is nothing to do with that deal).
...


This new $55 plan is less than 40 days old. I don't know how they have cut a deal for the ¢1 per minute to/from Mexico including cell phones but the Manager at the AT&T store in Chula Vista told me it had something to do with a pending Cell company purchase AT&T made in Mexico.

bajalearner - 12-20-2014 at 08:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
BajaLearner, Are you calling a US number? If so, enter +, then 1, the area code and number. The only calls I made to Mexican numbers I just dialed the numbers as given to me, but I think they were cell phones.


Yes I've tried that (+ 1 the number) and get nothing. But as I said, I can contact ATT by dialing 611.

I close to the border and my phone indicator switches between ATT and Telcel but I can't call on either.

Every ATT person so far has verified what was in print when I bought the phone; that the extra $10. is to call into, out of, MX and call MX land or cell numbers. .01 a minute, 1000 minutes per month. It's just not working from my home. I haven't tried it in other parts of TJ, maybe I should experiment with that. But I bought it to make and receive calls from my home.

And I do have an extra $10. in my account to pay the penny charges.

[Edited on 12-21-2014 by bajalearner]

Riom - 12-20-2014 at 08:44 PM

Quote: Originally posted by CaboJohn  

This new $55 plan is less than 40 days old. I don't know how they have cut a deal for the ¢1 per minute to/from Mexico including cell phones but the Manager at the AT&T store in Chula Vista told me it had something to do with a pending Cell company purchase AT&T made in Mexico.


It's certainly an interesting plan (for heavy voice/text users), and I agree is probably a result of the plans to buy IUSAcell. Although the rates are the same for Canada without them planning to buy a carrier there (and Canadian mobile costs are high).

Maybe they're taking a loss for a while on the roaming, to get a nice base of dual/triple country users for when they're able to offer a seamless plan (with data) after the deal closes, or to get a feel for what the market needs.

There's no IUSAcell coverage in San Felipe (and lots of gaps in BCS such as Todos Santos), so the big question is: will AT&T still be able to roam on Telcel after the deal closes? It seems unlikely in the long run, especially as AT&T have said they'll need to put a lot of investment into expanding IUSAcell's coverage to compete.




[Edited on 2014-12-21 by Riom]

chuckie - 12-20-2014 at 11:59 PM

I am missing something here...If its 55.00/ month how can it be .01/minute? Are you saying .01/minute on top of the 55 bucks? That doesn't seem like a very good deal....

unbob - 12-21-2014 at 09:22 AM

Quote: Originally posted by chuckie  
I am missing something here...If its 55.00/ month how can it be .01/minute? Are you saying .01/minute on top of the 55 bucks? That doesn't seem like a very good deal....
My point exactly! No way is it .01/minute.

I've been on the Telcel Amigo Combinado 20 plan for 3 years and pay approx 5 cents per min to call US from my home Baja area code. No contract pre-paid. That cost applies only to my pre-selected 5 "frequently-called" numbers (which I can change at any time) - other called numbers cost more. Plus, incoming calls are free!

I have another phone and plan when in the US and use Telcel only while in Baja - even though I could use it in the US also on the AT&T network.

Simple and cheap works for me.

AKgringo - 12-21-2014 at 09:46 AM

Unbob, Sounds like a plan I could use, I'm not a cheerleader for ATT, it just seemed like my best option since it also works in Canada when I drive through.
What are the charges to US numbers that call you? Any problems with service or coverage in other parts of Mexico?

bajalearner - 12-21-2014 at 09:47 AM

Quote: Originally posted by unbob  
Quote: Originally posted by chuckie  


I've been on the Telcel Amigo Combinado 20 plan for 3 years and pay approx 5 cents per min to call US from my home Baja area code. No contract pre-paid. That cost applies only to my pre-selected 5 "frequently-called" numbers (which I can change at any time) - other called numbers cost more. Plus, incoming calls are free!

Simple and cheap works for me.


Thanks for that info...

unbob - 12-21-2014 at 10:02 AM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
.What are the charges to US numbers that call you? Any problems with service or coverage in other parts of Mexico?
I have no clue what a caller from the US would pay to call me. Obviously, it would depend on their calling plan - not mine.

AFAIK, Telcel has the best coverage in Baja (and all of Mexico I burroume). I've never needed to place a call while out in the boonies while traveling but certainly towns of any size should have decent coverage.

I do know if I place a call while outside of my home area code (612) the cost per min is significantly higher than when calling from 612 area code. Only rarely have I needed to call while outside 612 - so not an issue for me.

Also, be advised that the 'Combinado 20' plan may no longer be offered by Telcel. For those already on that plan, yes, it continues but may not be available for new customers.

mikeymarlin - 12-22-2014 at 04:25 PM

well, to add to the confusion (spelled ATT ) , I signed up the first day the plan was available---they were clueless--- and was told could only
be used with a cell '# of San Diego areas--(760-619-858 ) as this was a test plan ( really ?? )--so they discounted a passport plan for me ,even though I live in S.D. county but have outside # I have kept
a long time--- and I have moved several times (in hiding )lol

so now we are in L.B. we will see when I get home and get billed---
That could be exciting to be continued--