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rbfactor
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: 4-14-2007
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Cell phone coverage in Baja
We are heading down to LA Bay, Santa Rosalia, Mulege, and Loreto and have the choice of taking either a T-Mobile pre-pay or Verizon cell phone. We
are trying to decide which phone to take to use for emergency purposes. Does anyone have any experience with either of these carriers in Baja?
Many thanks!
RB
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leadmoto
Junior Nomad
Posts: 64
Registered: 3-2-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Froggy
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Get everyone in the group pitch in to Rent a Sat phone.
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4332
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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We use a sat phone for emergencies because they work everywhere(caves excluded). I had Verizon for years. Dumped them because they have no roaming
agreement in Mex. I use Cingular with no problems where there is cell phone coverage. No cell in Bahia for sure.
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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JZ
Select Nomad
Posts: 10530
Registered: 10-3-2003
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Cingular (at&t) is your best bet. It will work at all those places. Sat phone is over kill for those locations.
T-Mobile will probably work well also. Verizon coverage in Mexico tends to be poor. The difference is the digital technology Cingular/T-Mobile use
compared to Verizon.
[Edited on 4-16-2007 by JZ]
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DonBaja
Nomad
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Registered: 5-9-2006
Location: OC
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Mood: Just Cruzin'
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I just dumped Verizon after 15 years (LA Cellular, Airtouch, Verizon) because there is no coverage in Baja. I went with Cingular (AT&T) because
they have an agreement with TelCel and coverage is much better.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
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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Stop as soon as you cross the border and get a prepaid Tel-Cel or Movistar phone......cost about $36US....then just add time as you need it
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64834
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Cell service ends at El Rosario valley for those with the Mexican service.
I have Sprint and it works to Ensenada and around San Quintin with the International calling plan added.
It works real well in Ensenada and Tijuana where I get digital roaming... in the other areas along the highway, where it is analog roaming I think I
could receive calls but not make calls.
It doesn't work at all on the San Felipe side...
So, I do not recommend Sprint if you are shopping for dual national service.
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JZ
Select Nomad
Posts: 10530
Registered: 10-3-2003
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Sprint and Verizon use CDMA technology. Good coverage in the US, but poor in the rest of the world. Cingular uses GSM/UMTS technology. Good
coverage in the US and most of the rest of the world. Caller id, BlackBerry service, etc. works great all through Europe and most of Asia outside of
Japan. Why would you go with any other US provider?
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Capt. George
Super Nomad
Posts: 2129
Registered: 8-21-2003
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Movie Star Pre Pay
$1.11 to states ( for a minute "or up to 30 minutes") so far so good.
\"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men\" Plato
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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Mood: Full Time Residents
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david...you REALLY need to drive PAST el rosario...
"come-on-dowm"
there is more of baja
i amazed how many locals here in mulege have cell phones...
they use a pay-as-you-go service
visitors here have used (sucessfully) cell phones all the way to our place at the point which is 8 miles south of town.
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
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T-mobile works as well. We use it in Abreojos all the time. About $1.50 per minute to the US.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64834
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
david...you REALLY need to drive PAST el rosario...
"come-on-dowm"
there is more of baja
i amazed how many locals here in mulege have cell phones...
they use a pay-as-you-go service
visitors here have used (sucessfully) cell phones all the way to our place at the point which is 8 miles south of town. |
I have been the full length of Baja (Cabo San Lucas) at these times: 1966, 1974, 1985, 2001.
In addition, I have been as far south as Loreto/ Puerto Escondido/ San Javier in 1973 and 1976.
All the other trips have been no further south than Punta San Francisquito/ Laguna Manuela... ie. Baja Ca Norte.
It's a matter of TIME... In order to enjoy Baja Ca Sur, one needs more than a week, as it takes two days just to get there... So, trips to L.A. Bay or
Gonzaga Bay or closer will be more common for me.
Until I can get away for 2 weeks again, I am limited to Baja Ca Norte... which I can assure you has PLENTY of things to see and do!
I must tell you, Baja Angel would like nothing more than to see San Ignacio, Mulege, Bahia Concepcion, Loreto, La Paz, etc. We do plan to do the whale
thing next year!
Thanks for your interest in my getting past El Rosario... I have, and if I can't then El Rosario is a great base camp (Baja Cactus Motel) for so many
things to see or do... Including the July 20-22 Baja-Rosario Cultural Festival (#3).
[Edited on 4-16-2007 by David K]
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DonBaja
Nomad
Posts: 139
Registered: 5-9-2006
Location: OC
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Also make sure you get a "Quad Band" phone and it will pick up the telcel cell signal
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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David you said "Cell service ends at El Rosario"
it doesn't
no one was talking about your trips in 1966, 1974, 1985, 2001
today is 2007
alot has changed...ALOT
it takes one day to drive to mulege...a long day
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64834
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
David you said "Cell service ends at El Rosario"
it doesn't
no one was talking about your trips in 1966, 1974, 1985, 2001
today is 2007
alot has changed...ALOT
it takes one day to drive to mulege...a long day
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Well, yes... there are no cell towers south of El Rosario in Baja Norte, that I have seen...?
You were saying I should get south of El Rosario and I just provided you with the years and trips that I have.
If you drive from Mulege to San Diego in one day, without any night driving, then you need a Parnelli Jones award.
Just FYI: I did drive from San Ignacio to San Diego in one day, but it was night when we reached Ensenada.
[Edited on 4-17-2007 by David K]
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Roberto
Banned
Posts: 2162
Registered: 9-5-2003
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Keep digging, David.
| Quote: |
Well, yes... there are no cell towers south of El Rosario in Baja Norte, that I have seen...?
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As you often do, you state your misinformed opinion as FACT. I thought you were her to provide info for travellers? If that's the case, wouldn't it be
important to be sure of your information before you open your mouth?
But, I'm sure I'm going to get some BS explanation and whine about not reading your posts or long-winded story about the time you met me, etc.
cluck, cluck, cluck.
[Edited on 4-17-2007 by Roberto]
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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Mood: Full Time Residents
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there's botts dots and everything in the south now...
some places even have stoplights
brenda just told me it takes her 12 hours to get to the border from santa rosalia
...mulege is just 50 min south of that place
i like to leave the states in the evening and travel to san quantine...
the next morning leave to reach mulege by 2pm
driving back just leave by 4am and i'm two hours north of the border by 8pm
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64834
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Roberto
Keep digging, David.
| Quote: |
Well, yes... there are no cell towers south of El Rosario in Baja Norte, that I have seen...?
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As you often do, you state your misinformed opinion as FACT. I thought you were her to provide info for travellers? If that's the case, wouldn't it be
important to be sure of your information before you open your mouth?
But, I'm sure I'm going to get some BS explanation and whine about not reading your posts or long-winded story about the time you met me, etc.
cluck, cluck, cluck.
[Edited on 4-17-2007 by Roberto] |
Paisano,... I have seen cell towers and seen cell phones working in El Rosario. I have not seen them anywhere south of there in Baja Norte. IF I am
wrong as you would love to show, then WHERE (south of El Rosario and north of the state border) are there cell towers and service?
I am not stating anything OTHER THAN personal observation... If you have more, newer, better or different information then why don't you use your
fingers and CONTRIBUTE that here instead of wasting everyone's reading time in your endless and useless efforts to disrespect me...???
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bancoduo
Banned
Posts: 1003
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Location: el carcel publico mazatlan sin.
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You people seem to have issues. Talk to Sr. SLIM. He has all the answers.
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
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Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Telcel Prepaid
Telcel has the Best coverage in Baja (ATT/Cingular roams on their network) and there is Usually a great deal on buying a Prepaid phone. Current
Prepaid charge for calls to the U.S. work out to about 70-75 cents per minute. Prepaid service is good for 60 days and the unused time rolls over.
Even when the phone time expires you can put time on it and get it working again.
As far as U.S. coverage goes, CDMA (Verizon) has better coverage at present than GSM. This last month I had to replace my two ATT/Cingular TDMA
accounts because the TDMA network is being discontinued for GSM expansion so eventually the GSM will, no doubt, equal the CDMA. Because of that, I
bought two Refurb CDMA phones on EBay and established two CDMA prepaid accounts. Current U.S. Prepaid per minute charges are 09 / 18 cents. Given
the number of minutes I use in the U.S., I will spend approx $20 monthly instead of the $38 for Cingular plus the $10 for Prepaid TDMA.
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