I live and work in Cancun. I currently have a great little Nokia that is light and functional. I use the cell and text functions and the camera sometimes. I currently don't use any email or internet functions with it. I am spending a lot of time in the States now and THINK I need another phone and number for work there. People there don't like having to dial a long distance Mexican number to get me. Not really wild about having 2 numbers but.......... Ok--let the games begin: Do I need 2? Is there any phone and plan that works in both countries? Nokia, Blackberry, ATT, Sprint, Nextel???? I have been researching and searching. Any and all suggestions appreciated. Having too many options available is almost worse that not having any!!! TIA
Jim, I have a similar problem, kinda sorta. Here in Mexico I use Telcel. In the US I use TMobile. I simply have 2 phones. But in Florida Telcel does not work at all, at least for me. The problem for me is that if I use my US cell here the cost is $1.49 per minute plus tax so it is deadly. I have heard that Nextel has some sort of international plan and that may be what you want and need. In my case, I also have a Vonage phone so I have an Orlando number that rings here in Mexico. They have 3 hardware options. One is a modem that plugs into your computer and you also can plug in any old phone, cordless or whatever the opposite of cordless is. The second option is the one that I have, is like a cell phone but you need access to WIFI. I use a wireless router so I can roam around the house and use the Vonage. BUT, I can also use it anywhere I can get free open access WIFI and there are a ton of places around Cancun for that. If a WIFI has a WEP code and you can get the code then it works fine. The battery does not last long and that is my only issue with this phone. The third option is a USB plug in thing with the Vonage software. It is pretty compact and had earphones and a mike in the cord. I really like this for being accessible from the US where people don't have to call me with a calling card and the price for me to call them is not deadly either. If I had an email for you I could refer you and then we could each get a free month. PM me if you have any interest in that.
PS Although I have 2 phones I prefer one to the other so I just switch my Telcel SIM card with the TMobile SIM when I enter or leave the country. Most of my njumbers I keep in the phone's memory. Numbers that are unique to Mexico or to the US I keep on the respective SIM cards. The only trick is that you need the SIM unlock code which is pretty easy to get, at least from TMobile. You call Customer Service and they email it to you in 24-48 hours. Without that code you cannot use a TMobile phone (or any other US carrier) on any other system. I never had a phone from Telcel so I don't know if the opposite is true. All this works pretty well for me.
TJ: Thanks a lot!! Lots of good info. I have Telcel in Mexico with a contract. My base in the U.S. will also be Florida although I work in Texas also. I had heard about Nextel and an international plan as well and will investigate. I forgot about Vonage. I have several numbers that ring in Cancun(Orlando, Miami, 800) that work with that and the guy who provides me those services has told me he can set me up with the little "black box" to connect to the computer. Problem is that I will still need a phone and will then have 3 numbers. The wireless cellphone would be an option and I could get the ATT WIFI card--they are even giving it away free now. That sounds like the best option for me since if I am connected to the ocmputer I don't REALLY need the phone in my case. My email is jwehrle@vip-travel-club.com WOW! That idea of switching the SIM card is ideal! I will have to see if I can do that as I do like the phone I have now. Only drawback would be that then the other number wouldn't work! Grrrrrrrrrr. Thanks, TJ, for all of the great info and advise. jim
Hey Jim, I use Sprint/Nextel in the US right now. Last time down to Mexico I signed up for an international plan which ended up costing me approx. 5 cents a minute. My coverage was great from Cancun to Tulum. The only trick though is talking to the right person on the phone when you set up an international plan. The first person I talked to (in India) had no idea what I was talking about and quoted me $4.99 a minute. I talked to a rep over the phone the next day (in the states) and got the real scoop. They have even done away with the monthly roaming surcharge of around $5 that they used to charge for as well.
