BajaNomad - Cheapest wireless plan

Cheapest wireless plan

LukeJobbins - 5-29-2019 at 02:27 PM

For some reason my boss can not call my phone which is thru Telcel. I want to get a second phone with an American number just for work. Cheapest plan that can call and receive in Mexico and preferably the most basic phone as well. Ideas?

fishbuck - 5-29-2019 at 03:00 PM

Sprint isn't cheap but seems to work well as far as El Rosario.
It is a US phone. I can call both ways, both sides. And data. A little slow but ok.
So unless the bill scares me I am using it as my only phone.

But interested to learn more. :coolup:

mtgoat666 - 5-29-2019 at 03:10 PM

I use verizon travel pass. Its $5/day, you are only charged the days you use telephone, so i usually use wifi for whatsapp and texting, just turn on phone signal occasionally when i am driving (most days i am off grid so dont need or want phone).

Tell your boss you will check email twice per day, and he needs to take a chill pill if he wants instant gratification.

bajabrant - 5-29-2019 at 03:32 PM

the boss may be leaving out the extra 1 that needs to be dialed when calling a mx cell ph---google how to call mx cell ph from usa

BornFisher - 5-29-2019 at 03:42 PM

I`ve seen it where a call won`t get through but a text will.
Where are you trying in Baja?

[Edited on 5-29-2019 by BornFisher]

LukeJobbins - 5-29-2019 at 04:34 PM

I had tmobile in the past but you have to use more than 50 percent of the usage in the US, and i definitely use about 90 percent in baja. Im sure it's something simple and easy like a "1", but yeah, for some people calls work but not text, for others text works and calling doesn't. And of course the US is the only country in the world not using WhatsApp so that's out too. Right now my telcel plan is approximately 25 dollars for 33 days for 10 gigabytes with unlimited call and text. And between groups in school and being on call for work, a super basic small amount of minutes plan would be fine. Verizon had prepaid in the past for 12 dollars a month, but with no mexico included. I was thinking some walmart brand or something? Figured I'd ask here before heading north of the border to avoid the plague that is a walmart visit in the US.

LukeJobbins - 5-29-2019 at 04:38 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Tell your boss you will check email twice per day, and he needs to take a chill pill if he wants instant gratification.

And he is the boss. He can want and ask whatever he wants as long as he signs my paycheck.

John Harper - 5-29-2019 at 05:03 PM

Quote: Originally posted by LukeJobbins

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Tell your boss you will check email twice per day, and he needs to take a chill pill if he wants instant gratification.

And he is the boss. He can want and ask whatever he wants as long as he signs my paycheck.

Goat wonders why he's chronically unemployed.

John

wiltonh - 5-29-2019 at 05:30 PM

I use T-Mobile and so far they have sent me one letter about using too much data as I had updates turn on. I turned them off and things have been fine. When I am in the states, my phone does all its updates on LTE. That way I use lots of data in the US.

The best deals on a cheap cell phone plans that I know about are as follows:

MetroPCS
Metro PCs offers a roaming solution for Mexico called the Mexico/Canada Unlimited. The plan is $5 per month and offers highspeed data but caps it at 5GB per month.

Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile has a roaming option for Mexico called the Todo Mexico Plus. The plan is $5 in addition to your regular plan per month. It allows unlimited free calls and texts and highspeed data capped at 8GB.

Track Phone does not work in Mexico.

[Edited on 5-30-2019 by wiltonh]

DavidT - 5-30-2019 at 11:57 AM

Tello operates on the Sprint network.
Calls to Mexico are included in the plan, however I don’t know about calling from Mexico.

PaulW - 5-30-2019 at 04:55 PM

Nobody has issues calling my Telcel phone from the US
Likewise I can call anywhere in the US and Canada with the same phone.
Cost is low 150 pesos for 28 days with no data limit and no talk limits. Telcel allows automatic CC billing so you never run out of pesos in your phone.
Any Telcel phone will work or bring your own with an unlocked ATT sim card. Remove the ATT sim card and buy the Telcel Sim card and put it in your phone.

LukeJobbins - 5-30-2019 at 08:03 PM

Quote: Originally posted by PaulW

Nobody has issues calling my Telcel phone from the US
Likewise I can call anywhere in the US and Canada with the same phone.
Cost is low 150 pesos for 28 days with no data limit and no talk limits. Telcel allows automatic CC billing so you never run out of pesos in your phone.
Any Telcel phone will work or bring your own with an unlocked ATT sim card. Remove the ATT sim card and buy the Telcel Sim card and put it in your phone.

On a side note, what plan is that? I have not heard of a plan that cheap with data.

PaulW - 5-31-2019 at 07:10 AM

That plan last year went from 100 to 150 - inflation.
It is called Amigo Sin Limite. When you get your Telcel sim card have the counter person explain the cheap plans. Accept the counter person guidance.
We are using the plan most locals use.
You get to choose how many days as low as 1 to much longer.
BTW, you should make test calls from your USA friends to confirm they dial correctly. Same for you calling north.

[Edited on 5-31-2019 by PaulW]

PaulW - 5-31-2019 at 07:28 AM

Yup, Times change. That is why I said to discuss with the counter person. Probably need to do on a regular basis. The 100 to 150 is the best example. No notice until you renew.

HeyMulegeScott - 5-31-2019 at 08:09 AM

Here's the Amigo Sin Limite plan details on the website. It's a great deal. I was surprised the voice and text work in the US on T-Mobile -https://www.telcel.com/personas/telefonia/amigo/paquetes-end/mb-para-tu-amigo

LukeJobbins - 5-31-2019 at 10:47 AM

I was going to say, I have the amigo sin limite plan for 500 pesos for 5 gigabytes but the first 12 months is double data so it’s 500 pesos for 10 gigabytes

HeyMulegeScott - 5-31-2019 at 02:27 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by Three2tango

Here's the Amigo Sin Limite plan details on the website.

Where it clearly states that the $150 plan includes 1.5 gigabytes of data, which is not much.

Only the social networks are unlimited.

True. It's less than $8 for almost a month of service. So I still think it's a great deal. I just connect to free wifi which seems to be everywhere when I need to use more data. My wife has a Verizon unlimmited plan and gets 500mb per day included. It costs just a little more than $8.

LukeJobbins - 5-31-2019 at 04:25 PM

I looked up that tello company and emailed them and they said you are able to receive calls in mexico. So I think I might try that. No data, 100 minutes a month, 5 dollars a month

DavidT - 5-31-2019 at 05:11 PM

I switched to Tello three weeks ago however I’m in Florida and won’t have a chance to try my phone in Mexico for a bit.

I brought my own phone, put in their card then had to call customer service to port my old number over. Customer service was great, took half a day to port my number. Had I used the one they assigned no call was necessary.

So far data speeds are much faster than verizon and call quality has been fine.
Hope it works well for you in Mexico.

Alm - 6-1-2019 at 07:45 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by Three2tango

Here's the Amigo Sin Limite plan details on the website.

Where it clearly states that the $150 plan includes 1.5 gigabytes of data, which is not much.

Only the social networks are unlimited.

I see 1 gigabyte, not 1.5, but this is not much anyway. Not much for browsing, though should be plenty for email.

Alm - 6-1-2019 at 08:38 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

How interesting, are you seeing different data from what I see?

Yep.
https://www.telcel.com/personas/telefonia/amigo/paquetes-end... -> click on paquetes amigo sin limite -> the very first plan. 1,000 MB.

Paquete Amigo Sin Límite 150
Megas Sin Frontera
1000 MB
México / E.U.A. / Canadá

Minutos y SMS Sin Frontera
Ilimitados
México / E.U.A. / Canadá

Mensajería Sin Frontera
Ilimitado
México / E.U.A. / Canadá

Redes Sociales Nacionales
México

Vigencia
28 días
Costo
$150

Alm - 6-1-2019 at 10:11 PM

Yes sir, there is no free lunch in senor Slim's establecimiento. Limited "megas".

wiltonh - 6-1-2019 at 10:15 PM

There are 4 sites that Telcel has zero rated. Zero rating means it comes for free with the plan. It is not unlimited as has been stated above on my plan. They allow 1024 MBs. The sites are as follows:

WA WhatsApp
y/o Urban Dictionary
FB Facebook
TW Twitter

If you have a Telcel phone, you can see how much is left in your account by dialing *133# and then 3 at the next menu and 1 in the following. It also gives the information about what sites are zero rated.

Hook - 6-2-2019 at 09:09 AM

Quote: Originally posted by LukeJobbins

And of course the US is the only country in the world not using WhatsApp so that's out too.

Please explain this to me. I have no problem using WhatsApp in the US. Whether through data or wifi.

I actually prefer it for texting because of how it updates you on whether your text made it out of your phone, made it to the recipient and whether the recipient has read it.

LukeJobbins - 6-2-2019 at 12:03 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Hook

Quote: Originally posted by LukeJobbins

And of course the US is the only country in the world not using WhatsApp so that's out too.

What I mean is most of the rest of the world now is pretty much reliant on WhatsApp because it is so user friendly and the double check mark is epic. BUT...the US is, for the most part, oblivious to the existence of WhatsApp. Anywhere in the world it’s, “I’ll shoot you a message in WhatsApp.” And in the US it’s, “what’s a what? Or why are you asking me what app?” Being able to text in areas with no cell service and the ease of international group texts and picture sharing is epic. I love the app. Oh and sync it to a computer in a second is epic. My mom now loves it too because she can see when two checks means my phone received it.

Hook - 6-2-2019 at 06:18 PM

Quote: Originally posted by LukeJobbins

I looked up that tello company and emailed them and they said you are able to receive calls in mexico. So I think I might try that. No data, 100 minutes a month, 5 dollars a month

Maybe find out whose towers they are using in Mexico. That's rather important.

LukeJobbins - 6-2-2019 at 07:54 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Hook

Quote: Originally posted by LukeJobbins

I looked up that tello company and emailed them and they said you are able to receive calls in mexico. So I think I might try that. No data, 100 minutes a month, 5 dollars a month

Maybe find out whose towers they are using in Mexico. That's rather important.

That is a good point. I’ll ask them right now.

monoloco - 6-22-2019 at 12:48 PM

Just get a Syke or Magic Jack app and it will work with your Telcel data plan. Facebook Messenger works great for voice also. When I call from Mexico to the states, a lot of the time the voice quality is superior on Messenger.

Alm - 6-23-2019 at 04:48 PM

Voice-over devices like Majic Jack are using wireless data. Telcel data are limited, while voice minutes are not. Calling apps require both parties to have the same particular app.

Of course, you can use free WiFi (not too many in Mexican Baja), or tether a mobile phone to WiFi internet in your home, but then it becomes sort of "immobile". Unless I'm missing something, which is always a possibility.