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fudscrud
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Tel cell vs AT&T
I'm looking for a cheap cell phone with minutes loaded on it that I can purchase. Which will have the best coverage for Baja? Also, which has the
lowest cost of calls to the U.S.? I would like to purchase in Tecate or San Filipe.
Thanks
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Mula
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Location: San Nicolas y Lopez Mateos
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Tel Cel and people can call you from the states without deducting minutes from your time.
Also, fairly reasonable to call the states with - for short calls and good reception.
Otherwise Skype or magicJack from the computer.
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fudscrud
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Thanks Mula. How is the texting with Telcel and anybody know where in Tecate to buy the phone package?
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Mula
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Texting is just fine. Very simple.
At the Tel Cel store. They are everywhere!
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Alm
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| Quote: | Originally posted by fudscrud
I'm looking for a cheap cell phone with minutes loaded on it that I can purchase. Which will have the best coverage for Baja? |
To give yo an idea of "the best coverage", here is the
map for Telcel. Town names will show when you zoom. Don't know how current it is, it says 2012 at the bottom though.
So... It depends where in Baja you are. From TJ to Ensenada - no problem. Cabo area - no problem. Mulege or St Rosa - only in the actual town. Smaller
"populated places" or on the road between those places - fat chance.
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fudscrud
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Thanks Alm. I don't think that's going to cut it as I'll spend most of my time inbetween those coverage areas. I may have to buy a used sat phone and
an airtime package$$$.
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bajajudy
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If you wind up going the Telcel way, be sure to have your passport with you when you go to buy the phone.
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rts551
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Alm
| Quote: | Originally posted by fudscrud
I'm looking for a cheap cell phone with minutes loaded on it that I can purchase. Which will have the best coverage for Baja? |
To give yo an idea of "the best coverage", here is the
map for Telcel. Town names will show when you zoom. Don't know how current it is, it says 2012 at the bottom though.
So... It depends where in Baja you are. From TJ to Ensenada - no problem. Cabo area - no problem. Mulege or St Rosa - only in the actual town. Smaller
"populated places" or on the road between those places - fat chance. |
That map is way out of date. doesn't show most of the entral/south baja areas that are now covered. That being said, while most towns are now
covered you lose the signal in between them. does La Bay finally have service?
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fudscrud
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rts551
| Quote: | Originally posted by Alm
| Quote: | Originally posted by fudscrud
I'm looking for a cheap cell phone with minutes loaded on it that I can purchase. Which will have the best coverage for Baja? |
To give yo an idea of "the best coverage", here is the
map for Telcel. Town names will show when you zoom. Don't know how current it is, it says 2012 at the bottom though.
So... It depends where in Baja you are. From TJ to Ensenada - no problem. Cabo area - no problem. Mulege or St Rosa - only in the actual town. Smaller
"populated places" or on the road between those places - fat chance. |
That map is way out of date. doesn't show most of the entral/south baja areas that are now covered. That being said, while most towns are now
covered you lose the signal in between them. does La Bay finally have service? |
Good question...and San Ignacio and San Juanico and San Carlos? I assume the towns larger than these will have coverage.
Is there a current coverage map?
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rts551
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I know San Ignacio has coverage as does Punta Abreojos. but there is an area in between (about 40 miles) where there is no coverage. For example,
where the Baja 1000 course crosses the Abreojos hiway, there is no coverage and we will be using two meter radios.
It is also worth noting, given your original question, all coverage is provided by Telcel. ATT and other carriers must use Telcels communications
to provide service.
[Edited on 10-16-2012 by rts551]
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thebajarunner
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Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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Mood: muy amable
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Big gap - El Rosario south
| Quote: | Originally posted by rts551
| Quote: | Originally posted by Alm
| Quote: | Originally posted by fudscrud
I'm looking for a cheap cell phone with minutes loaded on it that I can purchase. Which will have the best coverage for Baja? |
To give yo an idea of "the best coverage", here is the
map for Telcel. Town names will show when you zoom. Don't know how current it is, it says 2012 at the bottom though.
So... It depends where in Baja you are. From TJ to Ensenada - no problem. Cabo area - no problem. Mulege or St Rosa - only in the actual town. Smaller
"populated places" or on the road between those places - fat chance. |
That map is way out of date. doesn't show most of the entral/south baja areas that are now covered. That being said, while most towns are now
covered you lose the signal in between them. does La Bay finally have service? |
LABay had none this spring,
guessing that is still years in the future.
just a guess...
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Alm
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rts551
It is also worth noting, given your original question, all coverage is provided by Telcel. ATT and other carriers must use Telcels communications
to provide service. |
Movistar offers independent service. Limited coverage and usually cheaper then Telcel. In some areas it worked better than Telcel last year.
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rts551
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Alm
| Quote: | Originally posted by rts551
It is also worth noting, given your original question, all coverage is provided by Telcel. ATT and other carriers must use Telcels communications
to provide service. |
Movistar offers independent service. Limited coverage and usually cheaper then Telcel. In some areas it worked better than Telcel last year.
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yes very true. they are a competitor. but not many people use them here on the central-west coast
[Edited on 10-16-2012 by rts551]
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CortezBlue
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Location: Fenix/San Phelipe
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I did not read through all of the posts, but I have used both TelCel and ATT and their is no comparison for my buck.
ATT's Viva plan gives you the same minutes of use in Mexico and USA. No roaming, however, you do have to pay for texting or data.
I think it is about a $15 per month premium. I use to for business when I am at my casa in SF.
My 2 cents
[Edited on 10-17-2012 by CortezBlue]
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vgabndo
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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I've had pretty good luck with ATT and some international plan for just a few bucks a month. I turn it on and off as needed. The problem has been that
in BCS south of Asuncion, I couldn't call out on TelCel. I could receive calls and texts. The minutes are expensive calling the states. I'll look
into Viva.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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fudscrud
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Thanks everyone. I will look into Viva as well. Is there an "at&t store" in San Filipe?
I would like to buy a cheap phone with preloaded minutes on it.
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CortezBlue
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Location: Fenix/San Phelipe
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| Quote: | Originally posted by fudscrud
Thanks everyone. I will look into Viva as well. Is there an "at&t store" in San Filipe?
I would like to buy a cheap phone with preloaded minutes on it. |
No you have to get a phone and service in the USA. Once you get down to San Felipe you will receive TelCell and some time movistar
Depending on where you are in SF, you may want to check with your neighbors and make sure you get a good signal before investing in a 2 year program
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Riom
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No need to commit to a long contract, the AT&T Go Phone (prepaid, pay as you go) also roams on Telcel when in Mexico. It's basically 25c/min in
Mexico, 10c/min or $2/day unlimited in the US, and a minimum reload of $25/qtr to keep it active. So, for low users (under half an hour a month), it
works out at $8.33/mo to run it.
It's much easier for people in the US to call you on that US number than have them cope with a Mexican mobile number which can be expensive to call.
Remember to get the phone in the US before travelling to Mexico, only Telcel / Movistar have stores in San Felipe.
I wrote a bit about this and using other US phones in San Felipe at:
http://www.sanfelipelife.com/post/Using-a-US-cellphone-in-Sa...
(couple of years ago now, but not much has changed, except that Go Phone also works in Canada now and the US rates are different. I'll do an update
to that article this winter).
Be aware that the AT&T Go Phone (and the VIVA plan) is for use in a mix of the US and Mexico. If the majority of use is in Mexico over a period
of months, they can (and will) terminate service.
For anybody who spends a big chunk of their time in Mexico the advice is still the same as it was back then: also get a Telcel Amigo prepaid phone for
mobile use (costs 100 pesos every 2 months to keep active), and use VOIP whenever you have wi-fi for longer calls (or use callback services).
Rob
[Edited on 2012-10-18 by Riom]
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fudscrud
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That's some good info there. Looks like the gophone is the way to go for me. So, I can go down to walmart and buy the gophone with say 200 mins on it
with a US phone# and I can call out of Mex useing no country codes, roaming charges, etc. for $.25/min and recieve calls/messages for the same? This
sounds perfect.
Still need to figure out what to do in all the remote areas I will be riding in...
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Alm
Ultra Nomad
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| Quote: | | Still need to figure out what to do in all the remote areas I will be riding in... |
It depends on what you mean by "remote". In REALLY remote places there is no other choice but sat phone. Iridium, Isatphone, Globalstar - that would
be my order of preference. Isatphone is the cheapest, both handset and prepaid time. In narrow canyons I'd take Iridium over Isat, because of a
network structure.
It also depends whether you are "riding in" or "riding through". If it's populated at all, the locals will have some means of communication - short
wave radio, donkey or whatever. If you are passing through, spending a lot of time on infrequently traveled road between those remote places - get a
sat phone if you can.
If a sat phone is too much dough, and if you plan on some serious off-road travel or serious hiking, get PLB for distress call, hoping to never have
to use it. SAR services - or whoever will do it in Baja - can charge you really big money if you use PLB for, say, flat tire when you have lots of
food and water and not injured seriously. PLB won't save you much, compared to the cheapest sat phone with prepaid time - may be $200, but it looks
more reliable to me, they are usually shock-proof and immersion-proof. It's device for distress call, nothing more. Bush pilots have to carry it under
the law.
If you are just going down Hwy1 from A to B, 3 or 4 days for entire peninsula, and then arrive to some place that has either internet or cell coverage
or both - a cell phone alone will do.
[Edited on 10-18-2012 by Alm]
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