Greetings! I just wanted to recount my latest terrible experience with the largest provider of mobile technology in Mexico... After all, they say that "todo México es territorio Telcel," and, dear friends, if that be the case... we needn't worry about a pig flu, earthquakes, nor narcotraficantes... because being residents of Telcel territory... I feel that we may be in real peril! :O I live in the Blue Bay Club. I have lived in that hotel for over the last 4 years. I like it, but their refusal to allow the folks who live there to get Cablemas (or, as I sometimes like to call them, "Cablemenos"), the company which provides cable television to the hotel) to provide internet service to the hotel and to her many residents via their Cablered service has prompted me to look at other options. During these hard economic times I am wary about signing contracts that require me to pay for a pricey product that I might not be able to afford or use for a long period of time... So... since my home computer(s) are both laptop PCs... I thought I would check out Telcel's latest offer. They are offering broadband internet via an apparatus (whether it be a card or USB is of little import here) which lets one receive internet from the Telcel network. Fine. They have this available on the Amigo (prepaid) side of things now so 2 weeks ago tomorrow, I decided to get this service. This would give me internet without having to deal with a long contract obligation, also give me the freedom to continue to look for a more permanent internet solution, and give me a back-up for when that more permanent solution goes down, right? WRONG! Thus far I can tell you that it has been a monumental mistake. I went to Telcel to purchase everything I needed to purchase in order to get "the show on the road, " so to speak, as far as my internet goes... fine. I go to the place... wait in a line at the information kiosk to tell the person "manning" (sorry if I have offended anyone with my sexist and archaic language) that desk what I wanted. Then I had to wait in an hour long line to get to a person to sell me what I needed. That person asked me for a copy of my passport (which I thought was a bit strange for an Amigo-based 'plan,' but, luckily I had it with me), and told me (after being with her for 45 minutes) that they would activate my internet later that day... She said that they would let me know by calling my mobile phone which is also on Telcel... so I gave her my number, etc... I left. She related to me that her boss had to do my activation as I am a foreigner... fine. He was on lunch when I was physically in the store... that's why I had to leave my number... so they could call me and notify me that my service had been activated after he'd gotten back and done it. They close at 7pm... so at 6:15 I got nervous about things and ended up going back to the store... waiting AGAIN... she finally asked me, "didn't they call you?" I said, "No." She (after another 15 minutes of waiting) notified me that my service had been activated. Yay, right? WRONG. I got home and all I could do was send and receive texts messages on my PC from and to mobile phones. That is to say that while the software was indicating that I was, indeed, connected to the internet. I couldn't surf to even one pinche website. Nothing! I have since been back to TelHell 4x for a total of 5 1/2hrs of waiting in lines for them to tell me to wait for a phone call from their technical support... a call which was supposed to have been made in 24hrs... it never came... the people on the costumer service 'hot line' at Telcel say I need to go to the store where I bought the apparatus... the people at the store where I bought the apparatus say I need to speak to the folks at the Telcel costumer service/tech. support hot line. Right now... as I type this... as you read it... there are people 350 miles above the earth... on a SPACESHIP... in OUTER F'N SPACE!!! ...and I can't get internet. Chris
And there is one astronaut http://twitter.com/Astro_Mike that is even twittering from up there!! Or is that tweeting? I stopped doing things for myself many years ago. It is worth it to me to pay someone what I feel is a negligible sum to that I do not to have to deal with people that will give me the runaround. As you know, I can be disagreeable so I try not to disagree and I certainly would if I had to deal with Hacienda, Telcel, the bank and the government in general. Anyway, a few months ago I got one of those gizmos--a little cable with a modem from them--their G3 whatever and except for a few short periods of time, it works great and I have had no problems with it. Not sure if this is the same you have or not. Now, it was not easy to get it set up and the person who did all the running around back and forth several times to get it to work certainly earned her money. But it works--once it works. :lol: That has been my experience.
I have verizon broadband for when I am in the states , and it works great. So I am looking for a pre-paid internet solution for when I am in CUN. I saw the ad for the Tel Cel broadband card and was curious about it. Did you ever get the chingadera to work? also , do you know if all of CUN has access to broadband? the area where my house is located , doesnt have access to cablemas , you have to get SKY. my fiancée bought our house in what I call , supermanzana B.F.E. !!!
Chris, Do you have a local land line through TelMEX in your apt? Telmex has internet service comparable to Cablemas, with no long term contract. And if you are just a recreational internet user, why pay anything? There are tons of locations where you can get it for free around the city. Have you tried simply "View Available Networks" from your apt? Maybe you can glom onto someone's existing service and share the cost with them. Of course, you will need to identify them for access if they have a secure wifi system.
Ditto to what TJ said. I have TELMEX wireless, and have had no problems. I pay the monthly bill over the internet, and don't even have to go out....which is good, since there might be a month when you don't even get a bill (or it is very late) and don't know anything until your service is cut off.
