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Cellular Roaming in Mexico
Using your cellular phone south of the border
is quite different. This page reviews your
options. All prices are in US dollars. Mexican
rules now make it much harder to buy a new
phone or SIM, see our Note. Get Coverage Maps for Mexican carriers. This page updated January 22, 2010.
Our Recommendations
Most Mexican cellular customers enjoy "Calling
Party Pays" service. This makes Mexican
cell phones more like those in other countries
outside the U.S. This has the effect of making
cellular service cheaper for wireless users
and more expensive for those who call them.
It also requires callers to place a "1"
in front of cellular numbers, most of which
already require a different prefix. Mexican
wireless users are more accustomed to paying
by the minute than using a bucket of time.
GSM technology dominates Mexico, but CDMA
and iDEN service is available.
Most of us want to make and receive calls
to and from the US, so here are Your Wireless Options:
Option 1) You can choose the US carrier with the best
roaming capabilities, including Prepaid,
or
Option 2) Use one of the Mexican cellular companies
by buying one of their Prepaid phones or
SIM's. |
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For Option 1, Here are your best wireless choices among
US cellular carriers:
- Alltel:
Their "North America Freedom" plans
start at $60 and include 450 anytime minutes
for calls made from any of the three North
American countries, 1,000 Night & Weekend
minutes, and Unlimited Mobile to Mobile calls
within the US only. You are paying $20 more
per month than a 'normal' calling plan, so
the calls certainly aren't free. Another
problem is that few people live within Alltel's
service area. If you're clever, you might
sign up for this plan from another area of
the country, but you won't have a local number.
Another challenge is that Alltel uses CDMA
technology, which is limited to certain areas
of Mexico. Alltel also cautions, you still
need to watch for the Roaming indicator.
We expect this plan to be discontinued, but
could be "grandfathered" for divested Alltel customers. Alltel also offers a .79 per minute (plus
Long Distance charges) roaming rate
with
the remainder if its plans. If you
cannot
sign up for an Alltel plan in areas
where
Verizon Wireless has taken over Alltel
service,
Verizon offers their own Mexico Roaming
plans.
- AT&T:
Since they use GSM technology, coverage is
extensive throughout Mexico, however, AT&T
charges users .99 per minute roaming charges.
Text Messaging is .50 Sent, .20 Received.
AT&T offers a "Viva Mexico"
plan that includes calls to & from Mexico
for no additional charges. For an additional
$5 per month you can add their "WorldConnect
Mexico" service to a regular plan which
enables you to make and receive calls in
Mexico for "only" .69 per minute.
Mexico roaming also works for AT&T GoPhone customers at only .25/minute, with no daily
access fee.
- Nextel:
Nextel Roaming in Mexico has good coverage
within their service areas which includes
much of the interior of Mexico, many highways
and some coastal resorts. Voice rates are
.99/minute, Direct Connect calls are .20
each. Text Messaging is not available, but internet
access is currently Free!
- Page Plus:
Page Plus Cellular is one of our preferred
prepaid services, using the Verizon network
in the US. Their phones will roam in Mexico
on the same networks as Verizon, with a rate
of $1.10/minute, which is only slightly higher
than Verizon's own Mexico roaming rate. This
includes calls to Mexico and USA numbers.
- Sprint:
Sprint phones use the CDMA network in Mexico,
but Sprint claims only a few of their phone
models will work there. Sprint's Mexico roaming
fees are $1.69 per minute for both incoming
and outgoing calls in Mexico. Text Messaging is not available.
- T-Mobile:
T-Mobile phones work well in Mexico since
they also use GSM technology, but
T-Mobile's
roaming charges are $1.49 for calls
both
incoming and outgoing in Mexico.
Roaming
works for both postpaid and prepaid
customers.
Text Messaging is .35 Sent, .20 Received.
- TracFone:
Tracfone does not offer roaming outside the
US, but they have favorable long distance
rates to and from Mexico (and Canada). With
their "International Neighbors"
plan you get a local number in Mexico or
Canada that allows calls to be made back to a TracFone in the US, charged only as a Local call
in those countries. The cost to the TracFone phone user is the same as any incoming call.
Outgoing calls to these countries with a TracFone are Free through their International Long
Distance (ILD) service, which involves calling
a toll-free number, then entering your Mexico
number (or to 60 other countries). Since
your TracFone will not work in Mexico (or any other country)
this option would make a Mexico prepaid phone
economical. NET10 prepaid phones offer the same services.
- Verizon:
Verizon uses the smaller Mexican CDMA network,
but if your Verizon phone finds a signal,
it will work. They offer "Nationwide Plus Mexico" which allows free roaming in Mexico
for about $15 more than regular plans. Instead
of Unlimited Nights and Weekends you will
get 1,000 Night & Weekend minutes that
can be used in the US or Mexico, but your
Unlimited Mobile to Mobile and "Friends
& Family" calls are limited to within
the US only. Plans without free Mexico Roaming,
incur a charge of .99 per minute for both
incoming and outgoing calls within Mexico.
Text Messaging in Mexico is .50 Sent, .20
Received.
For Option 2, We look at Mexican carriers:
Mexico Cellular Coverage Maps
- Note: in 2009 the Mexican government began requiring anyone signing
up for cellular cellular service or a SIM
to provide proper identification. In the
case of US visitors, the best, and maybe
only, acceptable ID is your passport. As
a result, the small dealers and kiosks either
cannot sell you a new cellular phone or SIM,
you must buy one at a corporate cellular
store. We suspect increasing drug problems
have required this move, however, it is already
common in many other foreign countries. This has made it a LOT
more inconvenient to sign up for Mexican
cellular service, especially when there is
only one or two qualifying stores in each
town, with several available in Mexico City.
If there is any upside, it is at these 'official'
outlets you can subscribe to a "Pay
Per Call" plan.
If you feel the time, expense and
effort
justifies overcoming this hurdle,
here are
the options with each major Mexican
cellular
Carrier:
- TelCel offers the best coverage in the country,
and sells a nice prepaid package, "Amigo",
that includes phone, SIM ("chip")
and a prepaid card. They may still offer
just the SIM, some of which have minutes
already loaded on them. You can bring your
own "Unlocked" GSM phone and plug in the TelCel SIM. Your GSM carrier
(AT&T, T-Mobile and others) MAY provide
you with your unlock code. If not, or you
if don't subscribe to those networks, you
can buy an unlocked GSM phone online or at eBay, and use that phone on
the TelCel network. Calls TO the US are roughly
$1.40 per minute, and incoming calls are
much cheaper, usually free. TelCel offers
a plan with reasonable charges for calls
to the US, called "Pay Per Call"
(Por Llamada). With Pay Per Call you pay
about $1.20 for up to 15 minutes calling
time FROM Mexico TO the US. And if you wanted
a link from one phone to another while in
Mexico, Mobile to Mobile calls are about
.60 per call, also for up to 15 minutes.
Local calls are .60 for 15 minutes. However,
they have made the "Pay Per Call"
plan difficult to get., Users report that
these rates only apply to calls made from
the city in which your account is activated.
Calls made outside that area are charged
as much as 60% more. There are also reports
of additional charges made to phones not
based in the town from which you are calling.
While these charges are difficult to track,
they still may be the most economical option.
If you can, ask as many questions at a TelCel
store about what charges apply to your specific
calls. Also, our TelCel refills don't "roll
over". Add a new prepaid card and you
lose some or all of your previous minutes.
TelCel refills are available at many retail
outlets. A few still sell the refill cards,
but most now take your number and enter your
purchase in the computer, which is immediately
credited to your phone. Most OXXO stores
can perform this and are quite common.
- Movistar offers prepaid options and their network
is now almost as good as TelCel's. You can
also buy a Movistar SIM only and use your
own, "Unlocked" GSM phone, with
the above Noted limitations. Movistar also offers "Pay Per Call"
(Movistar Por Llamada) Official Movistar retailers are hard to find,
but refills are available at many convenience
stores like OXXO through the store's computer.
For about $1.20 you get 15 minutes of calling
time to the US. Their web site claims there
are no additional Pay Per Call charges while
roaming, and the lack of user complaints
seems to confirm that. However, you would
be advised to ask. Movistar claims assistance
in Spanish & English at *611, including
emergency calls, and local tourism information
at *2424, however, we have never been able
to access any English-speaking assistance
at Movistar, either on cellular, or at their
national toll-free number. Like TelCel, Movistar
calls to 611 and to get your balance involve
a charge.
- Iusacel currently uses a CDMA network that is not
as expansive as the other carriers in Mexico.
While their rates are similar to TelCel and
Movistar, you must buy their phone. They
don't use SIM's. They do have a few stores
and kiosks and if you can get a deal on one
of their prepaid phones, their pay-per-call
plan gives you 20 minutes per call instead
of the 15 offered by the other carriers...not
really enough to make a difference. We couldn't
find any "official" Iusacel stores
from which to make a purchase.
- Nextel of Mexico is a different company than the US version.
Their coverage is better within the interior
of Mexico and not as extensive around the
resorts, but it works very well within their
service area. They do not offer much for
the short-time visitor but have a big following
among business people. See Nextel Roaming,
Above.
Mexican cellular phones are much more reasonable
for local calls, and incoming calls, including
those from the US, are often free. They also
have good rates for "mobile to mobile"
calls within each Mexican city for family
members to keep in touch with each other.
Beware there still could be significant 'roaming'
or long distance charges if you make calls
away from the city where you originally purchased
service. If you don't speak Spanish you won't
understand as many of the benefits or pitfalls.
Since you must buy a phone or SIM at an official
store, they do try to locate them near tourist
zones, but it still may not be worth the
bother.
Mountain Wireless Recommendations:
- The Easiest option is to just pay roaming fees with
your current carrier. You would be surprised
how efficiently you can communicate when
you pay by the minute. Text rates may be
quite reasonable. So, your costs may be less
than you think.
- The Cheapest option is to buy an AT&T GoPhone and Call Forward your calls to that phone
while you are in Mexico. GoPhone rates are
.25/minute for voice calls, Text is more.
You may be charged per minute for Call Forwarding
from your forwarded line, but if you are
a regular AT&T customer, those calls
may be billed as Mobile to Mobile. Otherwise,
if it's a problem, you can return the call
and be charged outgoing minutes only. GoPhone
can be purchased online, sometimes for less than $15. Some phones
include $15 to $50 of Airtime Credit. The
SIM that comes with an Airtime Credit will
be locked to that phone for 4 months.
- If you use Lot of Minutes, consider the carriers that offer plans
that include Mexico roaming.
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