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raferguson

Nov 21, 2005, 3:59 PM

Post #1 of 4 (1168 views)

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Cell Phone Service in San Carlos and Bahia Kino?

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We are planning a trip to San Carlos and Bahia Kino in January, and we were wondering about cell phone coverage. I checked with Verizon, our US cell phone provider, and their Mexico coverage is very limited, and does not include that area.

Is there cell phone coverage in this area? Which providers? Is one better than the other? I have some old cell phones in the basement, I will bring one and get it activated prepaid, if there is service to be had. I have one each of the following technologies, CDMA, TDMA, and analog. No GSM phones in my basement. ;-)

Richard

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com

adders

Nov 27, 2005, 8:08 PM

Post #2 of 4 (1138 views)

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Re: [raferguson] Cell Phone Service in San Carlos and Bahia Kino?

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HI,

We recently traveled from Hermosillo to Alamos and back with stops in San Carlos and Bahia Kino. We used Cingular GSM phones with no problems. You need to sign up for Mexico roaming before you leave. There will actually be 2 providers in Mexico one of which is Telcel. I cannot remember the other. The other problem is figuring out how to dial, I think we always dialed like we were in the USA. Our rate was $4.99 per month to add the Mexcio roaming which had a 6 cent per minute rate from the USA to call Mexico amd then 59 cents per minute while in Mexico. We have also found that we can text message and e mail from our phones in Mexico. If you are planning on having long winded conversations you should probably get a Mexican cell phone while you are there. You could easily obtain one in Hermosillo or Guaymas.

scotth

raferguson

Nov 28, 2005, 4:16 PM

Post #3 of 4 (1115 views)

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Re: [adders] Cell Phone Service in San Carlos and Bahia Kino?

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Thanks. I am with Verizon, and their coverage map of Mexico excludes that whole area.

After I posted, I was looking around on the Telcel and IUSACell websites. It appears that Telcel covers both towns, but I think that IUSACell does not include Bahia Kino. We will probably take our old AT&T TDMA phone down to Mexico, and activate it there on a Telcel prepaid plan. The last time we activated an old cell phone in Mexico it only cost $15 US, so not a big expense.

Richard

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com

Moisheh

Dec 5, 2005, 6:00 AM

Post #4 of 4 (1086 views)

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Re: [raferguson] Cell Phone Service in San Carlos and Bahia Kino?

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I would not even bother with bringing the old cell phone. Telcel has a GSM Nokia for $399 pesos and you get either 200 or 300 pesos credit on your minutes. Good coverage and minutes are available everywhere. I use mine in Kino and Hermosillo.

Moisheh