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lewmt
Since 04 Aug 2010
182 Posts
MT
Stoked
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 Tue Oct 04, 22 7:32 am Baja & phone plans |
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I used to have a good prepaid wireless plan but it was no good for Baja. Had to go back to Verizon when I went to Baja last winter. Does anyone have experience with a good prepaid plan on Verizon's network that works really well in Baja? Just like the cheaper prepaid plans if I can find 1 that is reliable in Baja. May be spending time in an area that doesn't have much wifi
Last edited by lewmt on Tue Oct 04, 22 9:09 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Wind Slither
Since 04 Mar 2005
2611 Posts
The 503
METAL
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| Tue Oct 04, 22 8:12 am |
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| My Verizon just works in Mex (and Canada). I can't remember if I even need to switch the network anymore. |
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shred_da_gorge
Since 12 Nov 2008
1320 Posts
Da Hood & Da Wood
XTreme Poster
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| Tue Oct 04, 22 7:41 pm |
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| Along these lines, does anyone know if T-Mobile works there? (I assume no, but then again Sprint had a huge 3G network they took over). |
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Arb2me
Since 14 May 2019
28 Posts
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| Wed Oct 05, 22 7:38 am |
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I had Verizon last time I went down but it wasn’t prepaid. Had an unlimited plan that I had to pay an extra dollar or two to use in Mex for up to 500mb of data per day.
Talked to a couple of locals though and I remember them saying that getting a prepaid Telcel SIM card would be cheaper though. Anyone ever tried that and has specifics? I think they are bought at Oxxo. |
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bigjohn
Since 13 Mar 2012
663 Posts
Addicted
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| Wed Oct 05, 22 8:11 am |
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| shred_da_gorge wrote: | | Along these lines, does anyone know if T-Mobile works there? (I assume no, but then again Sprint had a huge 3G network they took over). |
I used Google Fi (which rides on TMOBILE and US Cellular) last year. It worked good in towns, on the beach, and along HWYs in the SJD, Los Barriles, and La Ventana areas.
There were a couple of dead zones, but it was rare (similar to the States)
Also my monthly phone bill (which included 3 weeks of travel for both my phone and my wife's phone) was under $80 for the both of us. i.e. less than $40/phone average.
Our normal phone bill is around $60 shared. i.e. less than $30/phone average. So, roaming in Mexico only cost about $10/phone more.
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jblum
Since 13 Jul 2008
306 Posts
The Gorge
Obsessed
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| Wed Oct 05, 22 10:02 pm T-Mobile is bad for travel |
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T-Mobile pimps itself as great for travel, unless you actually travel. They penalize you for traveling more than two months per year, and the penalty is blocking your line from roaming internationally. So unless you stay abroad for less than two months (which most people don't in Baja), T-mobile sucks. The worst is getting shut off while you're roaming without warning, and then having to fly home to switch carriers because suddenly your phone stops working and there is nothing you can do about it.
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bigjohn
Since 13 Mar 2012
663 Posts
Addicted
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| Thu Oct 06, 22 6:52 am Re: T-Mobile is bad for travel |
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| jblum wrote: | | T-Mobile pimps itself as great for travel, unless you actually travel. They penalize you for traveling more than two months per year, and the penalty is blocking your line from roaming internationally. So unless you stay abroad for less than two months (which most people don't in Baja), T-mobile sucks. The worst is getting shut off while you're roaming without warning, and then having to fly home to switch carriers because suddenly your phone stops working and there is nothing you can do about it. |
In past years I had a similar experience with TING. They capped the usage and all of a sudden my phone wasn't working. This was a BIG deal as I rely on my phone for work.
I had no such issues with Google FI.
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knotwindy
Since 25 Sep 2011
614 Posts
Addicted
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| Thu Oct 06, 22 7:39 am |
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You will find that if you spend more than 4 months in baja that Google Fi will turn off your cell data. They leave the talk/text working and the WiFi data alone and working, though. So, it is not a huge problem but a bit of a nuisance.
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mikeinhoodriver
Since 23 Apr 2009
427 Posts
down wind somewhere
Obsessed
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| Thu Oct 06, 22 7:49 am |
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| Does Verizon / Spectrum work down in La Ventana? Or do you suggest buying a local plan? Only plan on being there for 10 days. |
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bigjohn
Since 13 Mar 2012
663 Posts
Addicted
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| Thu Oct 06, 22 9:37 am |
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| knotwindy wrote: | | You will find that if you spend more than 4 months in baja that Google Fi will turn off your cell data. They leave the talk/text working and the WiFi data alone and working, though. So, it is not a huge problem but a bit of a nuisance. |
Just curious. Have you attempted contacting customer service on this? They are pretty responsive with chat if you log into your web account.
The reason I ask is because I contacted customer service before going down. We discussed what I was doing and I don't recall a 4 month cap. Perhaps they mentioned it and I wasn't concerned as I knew I wouldn't reach that limit.
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knotwindy
Since 25 Sep 2011
614 Posts
Addicted
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| Thu Oct 06, 22 11:40 am |
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| bigjohn wrote: | | knotwindy wrote: | | You will find that if you spend more than 4 months in baja that Google Fi will turn off your cell data. They leave the talk/text working and the WiFi data alone and working, though. So, it is not a huge problem but a bit of a nuisance. |
Just curious. Have you attempted contacting customer service on this? They are pretty responsive with chat if you log into your web account.
The reason I ask is because I contacted customer service before going down. We discussed what I was doing and I don't recall a 4 month cap. Perhaps they mentioned it and I wasn't concerned as I knew I wouldn't reach that limit. |
Yes, you get a message saying basically it is a US based plan and if you are out of the country they shut off just the cell data. As soon as you re-enter it automatically turns back on. When I contacted them, they just repeated the same general idea. Wasn’t really a problem for us as we have good WiFi at home & most places(coffee, restaurants, etc) also have decent WiFi so I barely noticed except very occasionally when I wanted to use it on the road. I was told by a friend that there is a different plan you can sign up for but couldn’t/didn’t find it in the site.
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Freeride Kiter
Since 08 Jul 2011
702 Posts
El Sargento, B.C.S. Mexico
Instructor
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| Sat Oct 08, 22 6:41 am Cell |
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I've used AT&T last 12 years. The past few I've run a dual Sim phone and grab a prepaid telcel Sim. This gives me both numbers, both data plans and good reliable coverage. Dual Sim phones becoming harder to get though. You can use a phone that supports e-sim for your second number. Total cost is about 1600 pesos a month for both.
I've found over the years that the tinkering and financing you do on cheap discount or urban plans the less likely it will work in Baja
If you need internet and wifi in your remote location consider starlink - several of us here have it with little to issue.
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"I have often regretted my speech, never my silence" ~Xenocrates |
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knotwindy
Since 25 Sep 2011
614 Posts
Addicted
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| Sat Oct 08, 22 1:55 pm |
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And everyone, yes everyone, in baja uses WhatsApp so make sure if you want to use it with the locals you have it.
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