jeans
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Jitterbug Phone In The Border Area
Has anyone used this phone in Baja? The service rep I just talked to on the phone didn't sound too sure whether or not it would work. She kept going
back to her canned sales pitch about national coverage is free.
My step-dad is reluctantly allowing us to get this for him...he can't work a regular cell phone...it's too small. The Jitterbug is larger and simple,
but it would need to be able to receive and send from Telcel when at home in Rosarito. He would use it maybe 2-3 times a month, when mom and her
phone is not with him.
If anyone has used a jitterbug down there, I would appreciate some info...thanks
[Edited on 8-26-2008 by jeans]
Mom always told me to be different - Now she says...Not THAT different
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CaboRon
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Beware of uninformed sales persons.....
Before I moved down I was told by one that Telcel would wouk in Baja California.....
It never worked .....
Most of these sales persons will tell you anything to make the sale, and you have no recourse.
CaboRon
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Riom
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jeans
My step-dad is reluctantly allowing us to get this for him...he can't work a regular cell phone...it's too small. The Jitterbug is larger and simple,
but it would need to be able to receive and send from Telcel when at home in Rosarito. He would use it maybe 2-3 times a month, when mom and her
phone is not with him. |
It's pretty clear from their website (jitterbug.com) that they ONLY have coverage in the US - not even Canada, certainly not Mexico. It does not
appear to roam on any non-US carrier, and apart from Canada they don't mention any plans for that.
Of course in areas very near the border there might be a little coverage from US towers, but Rosarito is a bit far, especially as reliability is
important.
Another option is to get a very simple unlocked GSM phone to use on Telcel, but make sure it is one that can set up "one key dialling", and
pre-program the numbers he would need. For example on a Nokia 3100b, it's a case of pressing and holding the "2" for example until it beeps then it
dials that memory number. Many phones can also be set up to "answer with any key", so to answer all he has to do is press anything, rather than a
specific tiny key.
The biggest challenge will be to make sure the phone is always charged up, and within earshot, and that when answered it is held the right way up.
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jeans
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| Quote: | Originally posted by CaboRon
Beware of uninformed sales persons.....
Before I moved down I was told by one that Telcel would wouk in Baja California.....
It never worked .....
Most of these sales persons will tell you anything to make the sale, and you have no recourse.
CaboRon |
Oh...I've been through that. When I originally bought two phones, both with the North American Plan (no longer being sold), the kid in the kiosk at a
mall totally fabricated the cost. It was adjusted to twice what my contract said it would be...without notice. No one would return my calls. 
I kept only one phone on that plan, the one my mother uses. They have since quit selling it, so there is no getting rid of it, now.
Mom always told me to be different - Now she says...Not THAT different
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jeans
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Riom
It's pretty clear from their website (jitterbug.com) that they ONLY have coverage in the US - not even Canada, certainly not Mexico. It does not
appear to roam on any non-US carrier, and apart from Canada they don't mention any plans for that.
Of course in areas very near the border there might be a little coverage from US towers, but Rosarito is a bit far, especially as reliability is
important.
Another option is to get a very simple unlocked GSM phone to use on Telcel, but make sure it is one that can set up "one key dialling", and
pre-program the numbers he would need. For example on a Nokia 3100b, it's a case of pressing and holding the "2" for example until it beeps then it
dials that memory number. Many phones can also be set up to "answer with any key", so to answer all he has to do is press anything, rather than a
specific tiny key.
The biggest challenge will be to make sure the phone is always charged up, and within earshot, and that when answered it is held the right way up.
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Jitterbug's service offers a real "dial tone" unlike regular cell phones and free operator service. I was also told they use AT&T as their
service. My cell service is AT&T and my phone will work in Rosarito and Cabo San Lucas with no problem. Well, except the calls are a bit more
expensive (Mom's North American Plan phone...no extra charge).
If the Jitterbug picks up a signal and could dial out...even if the dial tone and operator were not available, that would be OK. THAT's the question
they could not answer. She just kept repeating about the national free roaming and trying to get me to answer the survey questions and saying she was
the expert.
Mom always told me to be different - Now she says...Not THAT different
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Riom
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jeans
My cell service is AT&T and my phone will work in Rosarito and Cabo San Lucas with no problem. Well, except the calls are a bit more expensive
(Mom's North American Plan phone...no extra charge).
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When you use the AT&T phone in Mexico, you're roaming on Telcel. The roaming agreement in place between AT&T and Telcel is what allows this
(at a cost).
Jitterbug say they have roaming agreements with many US carriers (since they don't have their own network). But they don't appear to have any
agreements outside the US, not even Canada.
It's highly unlikely that their roaming agreement with AT&T (if they have one) would also allow them to roam on any roaming partner of AT&T
outside the US. If it did I'm sure they would mention it as it would give them near-worldwide coverage and they would need a rates schedule for it
(since they would have to pay for it).
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jeans
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Riom,
Thanks for a clearer picture of how that all works. I'll have one more conversatin with them (in person, here in San Diego) before I give up.
Part of the frustration is with the cell phone industry itself who refuse to produce simple, larger, easy-to-use phones that can be read by people
whose eyesite is not as sharp as it used to be. Hello, folks! Every hear of the baby boomers?
Mom always told me to be different - Now she says...Not THAT different
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bajaguy
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Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Maybe you can put a Telcel sim card into it so that it will work in Baja?????
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elgatoloco
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Copied this from the Telcel website. It is a list of operators who have roaming agreements in place with Telcel.
ESTADOS UNIDOS
AIRADIGM COMMUNICATIONS (EINSTEIN WIRELESS)
ATT Mobility
CINCINNATI BELL TELEPHONE
CINGULAR
JASPER WIRELESS
SUNCOM
T MOBILE
TMP SIMMETRY
Unicel (Rural Cellular
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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jeans
Super Nomad
Posts: 1059
Registered: 9-16-2002
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
Maybe you can put a Telcel sim card into it so that it will work in Baja????? |
Creative suggestions here and your U2U, thanks. But it would have to be able to work on both sides of the border...just as a security measure when he
ventures out without mom or to coordinate picking her up when she's visiting friends.
EGT...that's helpful! Thanks
We'll find a solution.
[Edited on 8-26-2008 by jeans]
Mom always told me to be different - Now she says...Not THAT different
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bajaguy
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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FYI....my Movistar phone switches over to T-Mobile when I cross the border into the US
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Riom
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
FYI....my Movistar phone switches over to T-Mobile when I cross the border into the US |
Telcel Amigo also roams in the US (AT&T and Cingular), but at $2/min for calls in/out you wouldn't want to use it there much. Movistar probably
has similar roaming rates.
If you (jeans) need something that works both sides of the border you're going to be paying roaming rates in one country or the
other. Probably better off with a US account (support in English), unless there is going to be heavy use in Baja.
T-mobile prepaid works in Mexico ($1.49/min) as well as the US (10-30c/min), and no monthly charges. So if it's just for emergency/infrequent use it
can work out cheaper than a contract. For routine long calls in Baja it'll cost way too much, the only option for that usage is a Telcel or Movistar
prepaid.
But I agree finding a phone that is usable is the tough part. The Nokia 6131 (6126) isn't too bad, answers by pressing the "open flip" button, and
has a decent large keypad.
[Edited on 2008-8-26 by Riom]
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