Using Cellular Services While in San Carlos
Crossing the border with your cell phone can be an adventure. And if you do it without a plan it can cost you Tens of Thousands of Dollars in less than a week. This web site will try to explain some of the options that you may choose.
First a couple of anecdotes to give you an idea how expensive it can be to do the wrong thing. First up is a Canadian on Fido. His first trip to Mexico ran up a bill on Fido where the Mexican DATA portion was $900! Dollars, not Pesos. He then did his homework and decided to do a TelCel Amigo pay-as-you-go plan for his next trip to Mexico. He figured that the SAME quantity of DATA that cost him $900 would cost $2.22 on TelCel directly.
Second anecdote is an AT&T customer. He wrote that if he didn't make any prior arrangements, he would get charged $20 per megabyte. Dollars, not Pesos. This customer did the research with AT&T and found that the best AT&T could offer at that time was an option that cost $2 per megabyte in Mexico. The cost of that megabyte of data on TelCel today without any data package is one Peso - about $0.08. One four minute YouTube video would cost a little less than $100 on the default AT&T plan described by this customer in Mexico. The same YouTube video would cost about $0.40 on TelCel directly.
A third anecdote is a woman and her two deaf brothers on a two week vacation to Canada. Their T-Mobile family plan bill when they returned was $201,000, it normally is $175. The brothers cannot speak and so the charges were for SMS messages and data.
And a fourth: $62,000 to download a movie? That's what happened to a caller named Alberto, who told his data roaming tale of woe on the air to HLN "money expert" Clark Howard on CNN. Alberto made the grave mistake of downloading Wall-E for his nephew while vacationing in Mexico over his data card and was slapped with a $62,000 bill from his wireless carrier when he returned home. Alberto tried to contest the charge and the carrier reduced the bill to $17,000, arguing that the five-figure charge was what it cost them to deliver the movie.
You have been warned. As you can see, it isn't just Mexico. A little Google searching will find numerous cellular roaming horror stories.
In Mexico the one who initiates a phone call pays the cellular air time.
First a couple of anecdotes to give you an idea how expensive it can be to do the wrong thing. First up is a Canadian on Fido. His first trip to Mexico ran up a bill on Fido where the Mexican DATA portion was $900! Dollars, not Pesos. He then did his homework and decided to do a TelCel Amigo pay-as-you-go plan for his next trip to Mexico. He figured that the SAME quantity of DATA that cost him $900 would cost $2.22 on TelCel directly.
Second anecdote is an AT&T customer. He wrote that if he didn't make any prior arrangements, he would get charged $20 per megabyte. Dollars, not Pesos. This customer did the research with AT&T and found that the best AT&T could offer at that time was an option that cost $2 per megabyte in Mexico. The cost of that megabyte of data on TelCel today without any data package is one Peso - about $0.08. One four minute YouTube video would cost a little less than $100 on the default AT&T plan described by this customer in Mexico. The same YouTube video would cost about $0.40 on TelCel directly.
A third anecdote is a woman and her two deaf brothers on a two week vacation to Canada. Their T-Mobile family plan bill when they returned was $201,000, it normally is $175. The brothers cannot speak and so the charges were for SMS messages and data.
And a fourth: $62,000 to download a movie? That's what happened to a caller named Alberto, who told his data roaming tale of woe on the air to HLN "money expert" Clark Howard on CNN. Alberto made the grave mistake of downloading Wall-E for his nephew while vacationing in Mexico over his data card and was slapped with a $62,000 bill from his wireless carrier when he returned home. Alberto tried to contest the charge and the carrier reduced the bill to $17,000, arguing that the five-figure charge was what it cost them to deliver the movie.
You have been warned. As you can see, it isn't just Mexico. A little Google searching will find numerous cellular roaming horror stories.
In Mexico the one who initiates a phone call pays the cellular air time.
Dialing from your Mexican Cell Phone (in Mexico)
- To dial to a Mexican local land line number:
Dial phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a Mexican long distance number:
Dial area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a Mexican cell phone number
Dial area code (3 digits) + phone number
- To dial to a US or Canadian phone number:
Dial 00 + 1 + area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a 1-800 US or Canadian number:
00 + 1 + 880 + phone number (usually 7 digits)
- To dial to a 1-888 U.S. number:
Dial 00 + 1 + 881 + phone number (usually 7 digits)
- To dial to a 1-877 U.S. number:
Dial 00 + 1 + 882 + phone number (usually 7 digits)
- To dial to a 1-866 U.S. number:
Dial 00 + 1 + 883 + phone number (usually 7 digits)
- To dial to a Mexican 01-800 number:
Dial 01 + 800 + phone number (usually 7 digits)
- To dial to other countries:
Dial 00 + country code (1, 2, or 3 digits) + phone number (usually 7 digits)
- To a US or Canadian cell phone while is in Mexico :
Dial 00 + 1 + area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
Dial phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a Mexican long distance number:
Dial area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a Mexican cell phone number
Dial area code (3 digits) + phone number
- To dial to a US or Canadian phone number:
Dial 00 + 1 + area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a 1-800 US or Canadian number:
00 + 1 + 880 + phone number (usually 7 digits)
- To dial to a 1-888 U.S. number:
Dial 00 + 1 + 881 + phone number (usually 7 digits)
- To dial to a 1-877 U.S. number:
Dial 00 + 1 + 882 + phone number (usually 7 digits)
- To dial to a 1-866 U.S. number:
Dial 00 + 1 + 883 + phone number (usually 7 digits)
- To dial to a Mexican 01-800 number:
Dial 01 + 800 + phone number (usually 7 digits)
- To dial to other countries:
Dial 00 + country code (1, 2, or 3 digits) + phone number (usually 7 digits)
- To a US or Canadian cell phone while is in Mexico :
Dial 00 + 1 + area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
Dialing from your US or Canadian Cell Phone (in Mexico)
Most monthly (and some pay-as-you-go) plans allow you to use your cell phone in Mexico. What you dial depends on the Mexican service provider. Actually it is not as complicated as that might seem. There are only 2 cases. If the Mexican service provider temporarily makes your cell phone "Mexican", or not. TelCel and MoviStar temporarily make your "up north" cell phone "Mexican". For foreign cell phones that use TelCel or MoviStar while in Mexico the dialing directions are the same as "Dialing from your Mexican Cell Phone" above. All others follow the directions below.
- To dial to a Mexican land line number:
Dial 011 52 + area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a Mexican cell phone number:
Dial 011 52 + 1 + area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a US or Canadian phone number:
Dial 00 + 1 + area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a 1-800 U.S. number:
Dial 00 + 1 + 880 + phone number
- To a US or Canadian cell phone while is in Mexico):
Dial 00 + 1 + area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a Mexican land line number:
Dial 011 52 + area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a Mexican cell phone number:
Dial 011 52 + 1 + area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a US or Canadian phone number:
Dial 00 + 1 + area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
- To dial to a 1-800 U.S. number:
Dial 00 + 1 + 880 + phone number
- To a US or Canadian cell phone while is in Mexico):
Dial 00 + 1 + area code (3 digits) + phone number (7 digits)
Buy a Mexican Phone?
Suppose that you have decided that "Mexican" is the way to go to control costs. Should you try to convert your phone, or, just buy a cheap Mexican phone?
If your Gringo phone is CDMA, then the answer is easy. You are stuck. Generally, these phones stay Gringo. If your service provider is Sprint or Verizon or Bell Canada or their "private label" offshoots, then you have a CDMA phone. Buy a cheap Mexican phone.
If your Gringo phone is GSM, then the answer is more complex. If your service provider is AT&T or T-Mobile or Rogers or their "private label" offshoots, then you have a GSM phone. It is possible to make it "Mexican" while you are in Mexico. Should you?
If your phone is unlocked, then the answer is easy. Buy a SIM card from either TelCel or MoviStar and insert that into your phone when in Mexico. Is your phone unlocked? If you got it from the service provider then it is extremely likely that it is locked. If you bought it on eBay or Amazon, then you might have bought an unlocked phone. It is easy to verify. Borrow a SIM card from a friend for one minute from any provider different than yours. Replace the existing SIM card with the borrowed one. And when you turn on the phone - it will either work or say something like Invalid SIM Card. For most phones, the SIM card is beneath the battery.
If your cell phone is locked and it is a lower end model (not a smart phone) then buying a cheap Mexican cell phone is a reasonable decision. The unlock cost is low enough that if you like your phone, why buy a different one and have to learn all of it's features? Smart phones, with their cost and all of your data and applications are definitely worth the unlock cost. Plus you get to keep your contact list.
If your Gringo phone is CDMA, then the answer is easy. You are stuck. Generally, these phones stay Gringo. If your service provider is Sprint or Verizon or Bell Canada or their "private label" offshoots, then you have a CDMA phone. Buy a cheap Mexican phone.
If your Gringo phone is GSM, then the answer is more complex. If your service provider is AT&T or T-Mobile or Rogers or their "private label" offshoots, then you have a GSM phone. It is possible to make it "Mexican" while you are in Mexico. Should you?
If your phone is unlocked, then the answer is easy. Buy a SIM card from either TelCel or MoviStar and insert that into your phone when in Mexico. Is your phone unlocked? If you got it from the service provider then it is extremely likely that it is locked. If you bought it on eBay or Amazon, then you might have bought an unlocked phone. It is easy to verify. Borrow a SIM card from a friend for one minute from any provider different than yours. Replace the existing SIM card with the borrowed one. And when you turn on the phone - it will either work or say something like Invalid SIM Card. For most phones, the SIM card is beneath the battery.
If your cell phone is locked and it is a lower end model (not a smart phone) then buying a cheap Mexican cell phone is a reasonable decision. The unlock cost is low enough that if you like your phone, why buy a different one and have to learn all of it's features? Smart phones, with their cost and all of your data and applications are definitely worth the unlock cost. Plus you get to keep your contact list.
Unlocking a GSM Phone
If your Gringo phone is locked, you still have choices. Sometimes you can get your service provider up north to unlock the phone for free. In fact, that should be your first step. Each provider has it's own criteria. And the criteria change. If your contract period is expired - it is very likely that you can get your phone unlocked and frequently for free. T-Mobile is even more liberal on this policy.
There are a couple stores in Guaymas that advertise they unlock cell phones. Desbloquear in Spanish. I tried one in Centro and found that it would take 3 days and cost a lot more than a service over the Internet. I chose the Internet.
What is involved in unlocking your phone over the Internet? You need the following information:
You can get the IMEI number, a unique number in the world, several ways from your phone. If you have a smart phone, generally you can see the IMEI number where you see information About the phone or phone Status under Settings. For non smart phones you can sometimes find the IMEI number under the battery. Almost all phones will tell the IMEI number if you dial *#06# as a phone number.
Next you find an Internet service that unlocks cell phones. $US20 - $US35 is a typical price. If you get it for less, GREAT. You give them the information and your credit card. And then they send you a very long number. You put your new Mexican SIM card in your GSM phone, turn it on, and when you get the message about the Invalid SIM card - you enter that very long number. DONE.
When you return to the USA or Canada there is no extra complication. Just replace the Mexican SIM card with your original after you cross the border.
There are a couple stores in Guaymas that advertise they unlock cell phones. Desbloquear in Spanish. I tried one in Centro and found that it would take 3 days and cost a lot more than a service over the Internet. I chose the Internet.
What is involved in unlocking your phone over the Internet? You need the following information:
- Provider, like Rogers
- Brand, like Samsung
- Model, like Galaxy S II
- IMEI number, a 15 digit number that you get from your phone
You can get the IMEI number, a unique number in the world, several ways from your phone. If you have a smart phone, generally you can see the IMEI number where you see information About the phone or phone Status under Settings. For non smart phones you can sometimes find the IMEI number under the battery. Almost all phones will tell the IMEI number if you dial *#06# as a phone number.
Next you find an Internet service that unlocks cell phones. $US20 - $US35 is a typical price. If you get it for less, GREAT. You give them the information and your credit card. And then they send you a very long number. You put your new Mexican SIM card in your GSM phone, turn it on, and when you get the message about the Invalid SIM card - you enter that very long number. DONE.
When you return to the USA or Canada there is no extra complication. Just replace the Mexican SIM card with your original after you cross the border.
TelCel or MoviStar for GSM?
Once you decide to "go Mexican" with cellular services, which should you choose?
TelCel has the most coverage in Mexico. If it is highly important to have the most coverage along major highways then TelCel will be your obvious choice. If your needs, however, are within the urban areas, MoviStar should serve you adequately.
How about costs? And flexibility?
MoviStar will generally win both the cost and flexibility categories. And for voice calls MoviStar will win handsomely. If you use you phone almost exclusively as a phone, then MoviStar will serve you better if you are light user or a heavy user of voice calls. And it is heaps easier to understand the cost structure. Practically, TelCel will be about 4 times as expensive as MoviStar for making cellular phone calls. If you don't make many - then that price difference is not important.
If, however, you are a smart phone user - TelCel today is the best choice. You don't have to do anything to use a low amount of data. Lookup the weather. Lookup a word in WordReference. Check your email once in a while when out-and-about. Google search from time-to-time. And you have options to bring down the cost either on a short term or a long term basis when you you want more and are away from WiFi. And if you have a VOIP APP installed, like Skype, you have yet another low cost option to use. Skype uses about 1 megabyte of data per minute when calling a land line or mobile phone and about 3 megabytes per minute when calling another Skype user.
If you want to use cellular for your computer, lots of data for a lot of time, the choice is not as clear. Or, if you are a power user of smart phones. Coverage and Speed are going to be the issues that matter most - because the cost difference is not that significant. I get measurably faster speed off TelCel where I live than I do off my 5 megabit TelMex DSL connection. I have measured 7 megabits down and 1.5 megabits up end-to-end from San Carlos to Seattle on TelCel. I have not personally measured MoviStar.
TelCel has the most coverage in Mexico. If it is highly important to have the most coverage along major highways then TelCel will be your obvious choice. If your needs, however, are within the urban areas, MoviStar should serve you adequately.
How about costs? And flexibility?
MoviStar will generally win both the cost and flexibility categories. And for voice calls MoviStar will win handsomely. If you use you phone almost exclusively as a phone, then MoviStar will serve you better if you are light user or a heavy user of voice calls. And it is heaps easier to understand the cost structure. Practically, TelCel will be about 4 times as expensive as MoviStar for making cellular phone calls. If you don't make many - then that price difference is not important.
If, however, you are a smart phone user - TelCel today is the best choice. You don't have to do anything to use a low amount of data. Lookup the weather. Lookup a word in WordReference. Check your email once in a while when out-and-about. Google search from time-to-time. And you have options to bring down the cost either on a short term or a long term basis when you you want more and are away from WiFi. And if you have a VOIP APP installed, like Skype, you have yet another low cost option to use. Skype uses about 1 megabyte of data per minute when calling a land line or mobile phone and about 3 megabytes per minute when calling another Skype user.
If you want to use cellular for your computer, lots of data for a lot of time, the choice is not as clear. Or, if you are a power user of smart phones. Coverage and Speed are going to be the issues that matter most - because the cost difference is not that significant. I get measurably faster speed off TelCel where I live than I do off my 5 megabit TelMex DSL connection. I have measured 7 megabits down and 1.5 megabits up end-to-end from San Carlos to Seattle on TelCel. I have not personally measured MoviStar.