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fishbuck
Banned
Posts: 5318
Registered: 8-31-2006
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Best BAJA cell phone company
Hi all.
Time to consider replacing my phone.
I will need a more Baja centric phone company.
Could kind Baja Nomads please offer up some phone info.
I need Smart phone capability if possible
Thanks
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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Howard
Super Nomad
Posts: 2353
Registered: 11-13-2007
Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
Member Is Offline
Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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Great question and I look forward to hearing about all the current phone plans.
Just as an FYI, for many years I have some type of AT&T plan that runs me $50 a month. Unlimited calls in the USA, to and from Mexico and I
believe 10 MG of Data in the US and Mexico. Not sure about Canada but I believe that's included as well. I think that only 1/2 of the data can be
used "roaming."
Cell phone works great in Baja and they must be expanding the towers as each time I drive down the coverage seems to get bigger.
In summation, I am very happy with my plan and coverage but who knows what else is out there?
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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pauldavidmena
Super Nomad
Posts: 1715
Registered: 5-23-2013
Location: Centerville, MA, USA
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I've been using Google Fi for a few years now, and have made several trips to Mexico with it. In the U.S., it uses either T-Mobile or Sprint as a carrier when
WiFi isn't available. In the Todos Santos area, it uses Telcel. Local calls to Mexican phone numbers were billed at a penny a minute, while calls to
U.S. numbers were 20 cents a minute. As WiFi can be fairly spotty even in Todos Santos, I ended up using more data than I usually do. It's billed at
$10 per Gigabyte and I used 0.93 GB. My bill is typically between $30 and $35 per month, with a peak of just over $40 when I stayed with my low-tech
parents in FL a few years back.
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Cancamo
Nomad
Posts: 360
Registered: 4-5-2011
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TelCel, (Mexican) and Movistar (Spanish), are the two main in country cell service providers. ATT, Verizon are available as well using existing
towers.
The no brainer to me is:
TelCel, sin limite plan, 200 pesos/month, calls/text US/Canada/Mexico
without limit. Data plan is more if you need it.
www.telcel.com.mx or any TelCel store.
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jedge42
Junior Nomad
Posts: 59
Registered: 10-1-2015
Location: South of SpaBV, Cabo Este
Member Is Offline
Mood: Light and variable
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Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  | | I've been using Google Fi for a few years now, and have made several trips to Mexico with it. In the U.S., it uses either T-Mobile or Sprint as a carrier when
WiFi isn't available. In the Todos Santos area, it uses Telcel. Local calls to Mexican phone numbers were billed at a penny a minute, while calls to
U.S. numbers were 20 cents a minute. As WiFi can be fairly spotty even in Todos Santos, I ended up using more data than I usually do. It's billed at
$10 per Gigabyte and I used 0.93 GB. My bill is typically between $30 and $35 per month, with a peak of just over $40 when I stayed with my low-tech
parents in FL a few years back. |
I'll second the vote for Google Fi. I travel worldwide some for my job and Fi works great. And it works well in this area (East Cape-ish).
jake
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PaulW
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3075
Registered: 5-21-2013
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Telcel works great. Most other phone companies are using Telcel infrastructure. Some have their own towers.
I pay 150 pesos every 28 days for unlimited use. Never ran out of data or voice. Works just fine to call US or Canada while in MX.
Any phone works. I use an Iphone6 I bought off the web for use in teh states. Don't buy a phone in Mexico because everything will be spanish.
Go to the telcel store and buy their Sim card and get a MX phone number Get instructions or questions answered by the Telcel person. Be sure to get an
explanation on the plans because they have quite an array.
When I go back to the US I use my ATT sim card and use their plan. Avoids Telcel roaming and extra cost.
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weebray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1094
Registered: 7-19-2010
Location: La Paz
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Mood: lleno
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Telcel is the best option. Best value, best coverage, free calling/text all of N. America. Includes data. Downsides; - You have to "renew" the
plan every X number of days and you can't pay in advance. - Unless you are hip to the world of cell phone settings, a daunting task, your data can be
gobbled up by Telcel in record time. - There are very few actual Telcel service centers. - The franchised Telcel offices are of very little help (can
you blame them?) - Even the personel at the company centers don't always know the answers and English is a struggle for most of them. - Do not expect
important information about your use of their service or their plans to be offered voulentarily - The whole system is designed to be difficult to
navigate it is designed to transfer $ from you to Carlos. I suggest you invest some time on their website before you visit. OH BTW For your initial
visit go to a "Centro de atencion" only.
Every beautiful beach in the world needs a few condo towers - NOT.
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Cancamo
Nomad
Posts: 360
Registered: 4-5-2011
Member Is Offline
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Got my TelCel "Sin Limites" plan on pre-pay, (prepago), they take the 200P out of my Banorte peso account every 28 days. It's much easier not having
to remember the cut-off date.
All arranged online.
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fishbuck
Banned
Posts: 5318
Registered: 8-31-2006
Member Is Offline
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Thanks all. Very helpful.
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9010
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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Well, we're paying $40 US for a Verizon plan for 55+ individuals. No contract, but you must do auto pay each month. Unlimited voice and text in
US/Can/Mex. 0.5g per day for data. The phone is an unlocked Galaxy S7. I have seen it use TelCel and Movistar towers.
People that I know that have gone the Telcel route say they have trouble placing and receiving calls in the US when they are there, especially from US
phones trying to reach them in the States. Not a problem when they are in Mexico. Just what they say.
Just had some friends down who have some kind of 3rd party company that was allied with Sprint. No bueno.
[Edited on 3-18-2019 by Hook]
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Bajazly
Super Nomad
Posts: 1013
Registered: 6-4-2015
Location: Goodbye Cali and Hello San Felipe
Member Is Offline
Mood: More Relaxed Everyday
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| Quote: Originally posted by Hook | Well, we're paying $40 US for a Verizon plan for 55+ individuals. No contract, but you must do auto pay each month. Unlimited voice and text in
US/Can/Mex. 0.5g per day for data. The phone is an unlocked Galaxy S7. I have seen it use TelCel and Movistar towers.
People that I know that have gone the Telcel route say they have trouble placing and receiving calls in the US when they are there, especially from US
phones trying to reach them in the States. Not a problem when they are in Mexico. Just what they say.
Just had some friends down who have some kind of 3rd party company that was allied with Sprint. No bueno.
[Edited on 3-18-2019 by Hook] |
I got an unlimited Verizon +55 account but in the fine print it says if more than 50% of everything is used out of the US in a 60 day period then you
get cut off. What exactly cut off means couldn't be explained to me by the new guy in the store but it sounded like you couldn't have that plan for
that amount if you were in Mexico fullish time. YMMV
Believing is religion - Knowing is science
Harald Pietschmann
"Get off the beaten path and memories, friends and new techniques are developed"
Bajazly, August 2019
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defrag4
Senior Nomad
Posts: 536
Registered: 2-5-2011
Member Is Offline
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after spending lots of time and effort on trying to get a US carrier that worked well throughout Baja, I eventually gave up on got on Team Telcel
200 pesos a month unlimited call/text, free facebook/instagram/whatsapp and 4gigs of regular data right now during promotion, $10 a month, cant beat
it.
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9010
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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| Quote: Originally posted by Bajazly | | Quote: Originally posted by Hook | Well, we're paying $40 US for a Verizon plan for 55+ individuals. No contract, but you must do auto pay each month. Unlimited voice and text in
US/Can/Mex. 0.5g per day for data. The phone is an unlocked Galaxy S7. I have seen it use TelCel and Movistar towers.
People that I know that have gone the Telcel route say they have trouble placing and receiving calls in the US when they are there, especially from US
phones trying to reach them in the States. Not a problem when they are in Mexico. Just what they say.
Just had some friends down who have some kind of 3rd party company that was allied with Sprint. No bueno.
[Edited on 3-18-2019 by Hook] |
I got an unlimited Verizon +55 account but in the fine print it says if more than 50% of everything is used out of the US in a 60 day period then you
get cut off. What exactly cut off means couldn't be explained to me by the new guy in the store but it sounded like you couldn't have that plan for
that amount if you were in Mexico fullish time. YMMV |
We have been in Mexico since early November. So far, nothing has changed and we monitor our account on line. Who knows?
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Alm
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2729
Registered: 5-10-2011
Member Is Offline
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"Slim" Limite aka TelCel is what I would get... if there was any cell coverage in my village. They are cheap. Technically, you could stretch 200
pesos over several months, if don't talk much and don't need "cable sized" data traffic.
Smartphone or not smart is a matter irrelevant to the plan. You will buy SIM card from Telcel and put it in whatever phone you have.
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Bajazly
Super Nomad
Posts: 1013
Registered: 6-4-2015
Location: Goodbye Cali and Hello San Felipe
Member Is Offline
Mood: More Relaxed Everyday
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| Quote: Originally posted by Hook | | Quote: Originally posted by Bajazly | | Quote: Originally posted by Hook | Well, we're paying $40 US for a Verizon plan for 55+ individuals. No contract, but you must do auto pay each month. Unlimited voice and text in
US/Can/Mex. 0.5g per day for data. The phone is an unlocked Galaxy S7. I have seen it use TelCel and Movistar towers.
People that I know that have gone the Telcel route say they have trouble placing and receiving calls in the US when they are there, especially from US
phones trying to reach them in the States. Not a problem when they are in Mexico. Just what they say.
Just had some friends down who have some kind of 3rd party company that was allied with Sprint. No bueno.
[Edited on 3-18-2019 by Hook] |
I got an unlimited Verizon +55 account but in the fine print it says if more than 50% of everything is used out of the US in a 60 day period then you
get cut off. What exactly cut off means couldn't be explained to me by the new guy in the store but it sounded like you couldn't have that plan for
that amount if you were in Mexico fullish time. YMMV |
We have been in Mexico since early November. So far, nothing has changed and we monitor our account on line. Who knows? |
Good to know. Like I said, the kid couldn’t elaborate much on what that meant but i did see it reading over the fine print while I was waiting for
him fumbling around for an hour doing something else. I’m in the same boat as Fish, I’ll be there pretty much full time in a couple months so
I’m interested where this settles out.
Believing is religion - Knowing is science
Harald Pietschmann
"Get off the beaten path and memories, friends and new techniques are developed"
Bajazly, August 2019
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Alm
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2729
Registered: 5-10-2011
Member Is Offline
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Cutting you off the plan when the phone most of the time is being used outside of the plan issuer country, is a pretty standard policy. Don't know
whether SlimCel have it too, but possible.
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Bajazly
Super Nomad
Posts: 1013
Registered: 6-4-2015
Location: Goodbye Cali and Hello San Felipe
Member Is Offline
Mood: More Relaxed Everyday
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| Quote: Originally posted by Alm | | Cutting you off the plan when the phone most of the time is being used outside of the plan issuer country, is a pretty standard policy. Don't know
whether SlimCel have it too, but possible. |
Seems odd because they are getting their money and I would imagine using less of their system. Unless international takes up more bandwidth to go back
and forth.
Believing is religion - Knowing is science
Harald Pietschmann
"Get off the beaten path and memories, friends and new techniques are developed"
Bajazly, August 2019
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9010
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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| Quote: Originally posted by Bajazly | | Quote: Originally posted by Alm | | Cutting you off the plan when the phone most of the time is being used outside of the plan issuer country, is a pretty standard policy. Don't know
whether SlimCel have it too, but possible. |
Seems odd because they are getting their money and I would imagine using less of their system. Unless international takes up more bandwidth to go back
and forth. |
I would assume it is because they are paying a fee for using cell towers that are not their own. Their own cell towers in their own countries are
essentially "free". They provide a certain amount of international "roaming" as an enticement to sign on, but they probably would like to limit the
amount of cell tower use outside their own.
It's like the old days when you used to incur "roaming" fees whenever you left your phone companies service area. They were passing on the costs that
they were being charged. Now, Verizon and ATT have absorbed lots of those old roaming phone companies, competition has increased from Sprint and
T-mobile AND they have found more clever ways of charging you than the dreaded roaming fees.
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defrag4
Senior Nomad
Posts: 536
Registered: 2-5-2011
Member Is Offline
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Cricket which is an ATT MVNO is the only major provider that I know of that fully supports use in MX with no cutoff times, fair plans as well
If you are in La Paz or further south it is a good option, uses ATT LTE towers.
its not so hot between Ensenada and La Paz unforunately where it roams on Movistar
[Edited on 3-19-2019 by defrag4]
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PaulW
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3075
Registered: 5-21-2013
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In Mexico, of course the partnership between Telcel and ATT results in ATT using all the infrastructure provided by Telcel. And when using a Telcel
phone in the states your signal will come from ATT towers. It's all part of the deal.
That is why ATT service in Mexico is so good = same service as Telcel.
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