Taco de Baja
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T-Mobile to include service in Mexico and Canada for free
Sounds good, but what's the T-Mobile coverage like in Baja?
http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-tmobile-...
| Quote: |
[I]July 9, 2015 11:36AM[/I]
T-Mobile extends coverage to Mexico, Canada at no extra cost.
Starting Wednesday, customers on the company's Simple Choice plan will receive coverage to those two countries at no extra charge. The move
covers calls to landlines, mobile phones as well as 4G LTE data across North America, whether you're in the U.S. or traveling in Mexico and
Canada.
"Now, wherever you call, wherever you travel in Mexico and Canada, your phone just works— like at home," the Bellevue, Wash., company said Thursday in
a statement. "Zero ridiculous calling rates, zero jacked-up data rates, zero hoops to jump through."
In a call with The Times, company executives said Mobile Without Borders would eliminate a major pain point for wireless customers in the U.S., saying
35% of all international calls from the country last year were to Mexico or Canada. During that time, carriers raked in nearly $10 billion in global
roaming charges at over 90% margins.
"That norm is outdated, it's wrong and it's actually pretty outrageous when you think about it," Chief Operating Officer Mike Sievert said. "You drive
across a bridge and your data is suddenly 120 times more expensive? It's absurd. So we got together with a totally different mindset."
T-Mobile said every new Simple Choice customer will automatically get Mexico and Canada included in their plan at no extra charge. Current Simple
Choice customers can opt-in online, by phone or in store by switching to the company's latest plans for free.
Business customers can also add coverage and calling across North America to their Simple Choice plan at no extra cost for the first 10 lines and $1 a
month for each line beyond that.
Matt Staneff, senior vice president of customer loyalty, said the company expected the move to be extremely advantageous to Los Angeles, with its
proximity to Mexico and large Mexican population.
"We think this is going to be a huge win for consumers there," he said.
T-Mobile declined to specify how it would assume the additional costs of offering the expanded services, but noted that it had struck deals with
strategic partners in Mexico and Canada.
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[Edited on 7-9-2015 by Taco de Baja]
Truth generally lies in the coordination of antagonistic opinions
-Herbert Spencer
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AKgringo
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I can't imagine that Carlos Slim is going to allow T-Mobile to use his infrastructure to severely undercut his rates! I will be looking for a
coverage map, and plan rates to see if it beats my ATT Go-Phone. My needs are very very simple, if can I make and receive a call in most of Baja and
on the Alcan highway I am happy.
Edit; I am not very skilled at internet searching, but it appears that the new plan is only for calls to a Mexico number. Calls to a US number while
in Mexico are still charged at 45 cents/min, twenty cents more than my Go-Phone.
Coverage looked like only the northern and southern ends of the peninsula have service. I would appreciate it if someone else would check to see if I
got it all wrong.
[Edited on 7-9-2015 by AKgringo]
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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rts551
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Tmobile partners with Movistar whose coverage is not near as good as Telcel. For example no coverage along the coast Punta Abreojos to Asuncion. http://www.cellularmaps.com/mx_net_compare.shtml
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Whale-ista
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I've used my TMobile service in Baja for last few years and been happy with it. I have their international plan: $.20/min to call to US, free
text/data. So I text often, call less. I think calls within MX to MX #s are the same.
Coverage is spotty, but that's Baja. Usually when there's a signal the phone links to moviestar, but TelCel also has worked. I had great service in
Pulmo last year, from the tower on the hill west of town. No electricity, but great cell service. (we used solar to keep charged)
My plan has rarely cost me more than $5 above regular charges, for a week of travel with a few calls home to check in as needed to keep family happy,
and to hotels/friends as I move from place to place.
Also, my home service in San Diego now includes free calls to landlines in Baja. (Time Warner) Not sure if that includes calls to MXO cell #s...it's a
pain to keep it all organized sometimes.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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AKgringo
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Whale-ista, What are the monthly charges on your plan? I have been using ATT prepaid with no monthly fee. It is ten cents/min in the US, 25/min
in Mexico, 35 cents/min in Canada. Adding twenty five dollars every ninety days has served my needs so far (I use almost no data, and make few calls)
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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BigBearRider
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So, it's been a few weeks. Does anyone have some more first-hand experience regarding coverage.
I love this idea. If it works down to Ensenada and in the Punta Chivato area, I will have to switch to T-Mobile.
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Whale-ista
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Location: San Diego
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Your plan is more economical. I have a full data plan as well as unlimited calls in the US, so it's about $50/month. I use the phone a lot, including
for work, in place of a landline.
Also the data can be tethered to my Ipad for web access when traveling, when there's no available secure wi-fi. It gets a lot of daily use in San
Diego, beyond the Baja service.
I've used it often in Ensenada with no problems.
Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  | | Whale-ista, What are the monthly charges on your plan? I have been using ATT prepaid with no monthly fee. It is ten cents/min in the US, 25/min
in Mexico, 35 cents/min in Canada. Adding twenty five dollars every ninety days has served my needs so far (I use almost no data, and make few calls)
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\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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pauldavidmena
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Location: Centerville, MA, USA
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I bring my T-Mobile phone with me whenever traveling to Baja, and its coverage - provided by Movistar - is fairly spotty. When landing at Los Cabos
airport, for example (granted, it's in the middle of nowhere), I get zero bars. In San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, I get four or five bars. The
trip up to Todos Santos on Highway 19 is pretty much a dead zone until El Pescadero, and even it is fairly patchy. I remember trying to call monoloco
while motoring up and down the hills and having no signal. I used my wife's AT&T phone (which was roaming on Telcel's network) instead, and got
right through.
T-mobile worked fine in Todos Santos itself, and even in the outer barrios of Las Brisas and Las Tunas, but I've picked up a cheap unlocked cell phone
and a Telcel SIM card for some peace of mind.
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TMW
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I have T-Mobile prepaid and have coverage in all the major cities except LA Bay and San Ignacio. I don't think LA Bay has any cell service. I have
bars in San Ignacio but can't call. Every year Baja/Baja Sur gets better in their cell coverage. I have a satellite phone for those areas without cell
service.
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skipowell
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Registered: 11-9-2009
Location: San Diego
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I switched to T Mobile SImple Plan (from Sprint) about 4 months ago. The service is Rosarito and Ensenada has been okay. Spotty in the Guadalupe
Valley.
I have not been in Mexico for a few weeks and noticed today when I was in Mexico using my phone at my house that is said I was on the Telnor network
rather than the Moviestar. Another feature that T-mobile uses is WIFI phone. When you are connected to the WI FI your phone access it rather than
the carrier. You can't tell the difference when dialing or receiving a call. I just checked my bill no charges!!! For the past 4 months I have not
been charged for data, or the messages while in Mexico and calss use to cost me .20 a minute. I made two calls today while away from wifi and no
charges for either.
My only real complaint is coverage when driving to Mammoth Lakes. I feel like I went back 5 years in coverage. Is it very spotty up the 395 as it
used to be with all carriers. I used Sprint last so at least I am not use to having amazing coverage that Verizon offers now.
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