# Cell phone service in rosarito



## sirbe7 (Mar 2, 2014)

Hi all. I'm moving to Mexico and currently have AT&T for my cell phone service. It's a standard domestic plan and I'm pretty happy with it. I'm in a contract and can't leave but wouldn't want to really unless it just no longer made sense for me. I was looking at the AT&T International plans but they of course are very expensive and for that price I don't get very many minutes to use nor is the data plan really worth it. Well, at least I don't think so. I was wondering what most others do in Mexico for a cell phone? 

I thought I could keep my ATT phone and just keep in on airplane mode while in Mexico and use the wifi on it only to avoid international charges. If I did that I would need to get a Mexican cell phone I'm sure. Or, maybe I wouldn't need a cell phone and I could just use a home phone. Don't really know what's best here?

Anybody have an good advise on cell phones and plans or the best way they've found to set things up? Thank you!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sirbe7 said:


> Hi all. I'm moving to Mexico and currently have AT&T for my cell phone service. It's a standard domestic plan and I'm pretty happy with it. I'm in a contract and can't leave but wouldn't want to really unless it just no longer made sense for me. I was looking at the AT&T International plans but they of course are very expensive and for that price I don't get very many minutes to use nor is the data plan really worth it. Well, at least I don't think so. I was wondering what most others do in Mexico for a cell phone?
> 
> I thought I could keep my ATT phone and just keep in on airplane mode while in Mexico and use the wifi on it only to avoid international charges. If I did that I would need to get a Mexican cell phone I'm sure. Or, maybe I wouldn't need a cell phone and I could just use a home phone. Don't really know what's best here?
> 
> Anybody have an good advise on cell phones and plans or the best way they've found to set things up? Thank you!


Cell phones in Mexico are cheap to buy and you can get a pay-as-you-go plan easily. You just stop at any corner store to recharge the phone when you run out of minutes. The minutes on this plan are not cheap, maybe $4 pesos/minute. Texting is cheaper $1 peso/message. You can get a home phone from TelMex or as part of a package with a cable TV/Internet provider. I think a cell phone is more useful but that is a personal preference. For calls outside of Mexico, there are lots of options Skype, Magic Jack, VOIP of one form or another. There have been lots of discussions of these options on this forum.

I have an iPad Mini with only wifi. It has all my contacts in it, as well as lots of other stuff. I have a cheap cell phone that cost maybe $200 or $300 pesos. I just put time on it when it runs out. You can charge it with as little as $20 pesos or as much as you want. If you put money on it in larger quantities you get gift (regalos) minutes. I.e. for $100 you get $20 extra, for $200, $50 extra, etc. I have put most of my Mexican friend's phone numbers in the cheap cell phone, but occasionally I have to make a 2-handed call where I look the number up in my ipad and key it into my Mexican cell.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Getting a pay-as-you-go plan in Mexico is so cheap and practical, people even find it worthwhile if they are just visiting for a few months. So you will certainly want to do so if you move here.


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## tequierobaja (Mar 24, 2014)

sirbe7 said:


> Hi all. I'm moving to Mexico and currently have AT&T for my cell phone service. It's a standard domestic plan and I'm pretty happy with it. I'm in a contract and can't leave but wouldn't want to really unless it just no longer made sense for me. I was looking at the AT&T International plans but they of course are very expensive and for that price I don't get very many minutes to use nor is the data plan really worth it. Well, at least I don't think so. I was wondering what most others do in Mexico for a cell phone?
> 
> I thought I could keep my ATT phone and just keep in on airplane mode while in Mexico and use the wifi on it only to avoid international charges. If I did that I would need to get a Mexican cell phone I'm sure. Or, maybe I wouldn't need a cell phone and I could just use a home phone. Don't really know what's best here?
> 
> Anybody have an good advise on cell phones and plans or the best way they've found to set things up? Thank you!


If you're moving (permanently) then you might want to consider a more permanent option. 

Here are a few options for you...

1.) You can keep your At&t phone for calls in the US and get a burner (cheap disposable phone) in Mexico.

2.) You can get your phone unlocked and use a Telcel sim card while in Mexico (prepaid and easily reloadable at any Oxxo). 

3.) You can switch to T-Mobile (no contract, prepaid) and get unlimited calls, texting and data while paying .20 a minute to use the phone while in Mexico (data and texting are still free but data is MUCH slower unless you pay to upgrade).

Those are basically the options you have, outside of paying for the international plan (or the Amigo plan) through AT&T... wouldn't recommend that though, it's quite expensive.


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## BajaExPat (May 12, 2009)

Call ATT and ask for the *"Viva Mexico" *plan.

$10.00 a month for the plan and you can use your ATT cell to call any US or MX number and it only goes against the minutes in your plan. Works anywhere in Mexico or US.

Wireless is available in many businesses here in Rosarito, and Telnor will quickly and easily hook you up with a local phone and DSL so you can have wireless in your home.

When in Mexico, simply go to settings and turn your phone cellular data off to not incur roaming data charges.

_Easy Squeasy._ I live in Rosarito... it's great!


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## tequierobaja (Mar 24, 2014)

I asked about that plan just a few weeks ago and they said it was $10 in addition to your current plan, but you pay additionally for data (at the ridiculous rate of about $80 per 750mb). Calling might be the same price (didn't get that far after hearing the data price), but the data will eat you alive.


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