Cancun Mexico
 

To piggyback on mmastera's post, I too am going to Cancun. I am somewhere between Mexitel, Movistar, and Telcel. However here is my problem. I really don't want to rent a phone if I have my own, but I can't read the Movistar or Telcel websites because I don't read spanish and google doesn't translate the webpages. Therefore I don't understand the who, what, when, and how as it relates to rates, sim card purchases, and top offs. But I will do the Mexitel thing if their rates are the best and reputation is good. Please help me with a solution.:o

Whats mexitel? Telcel and Movistar are the only GSM providers in Mexico. For calls to the US and for cheaper rates movistar is better is what I always use when in mexico. They have a plan called "por llamada", it allows 30min calls to the US for $1. Let me know if you have anymore specific questions and I will answer them.

Considering the recent incerease in termination costs to Mexico mobiles, you may be better off using an international SIM card such as 09.

If you're lucky you may be able to find a second hand eKit Premium International SIM (IoM based - +44-7624 or +44-7924) that also offers free incoming calls in Mexico.

Money, thanks for the reply. Mexitel is a phone rental company that charges $35.00 per 2 week period. Local calls in Mx are $ .36 per minute and international calls are $ .02 more because they use VOIP technology

Rod,

I've used Mexitel in the past.
They're actually Telcel, but include a VOIP twist you mentioned which makes international calls just about the same price as local.
My experience with them was good - phones were like new and worked flawlessly in Mexico and (as you mentioned) the price was definitely right.

It did ... but not any more. I used that card in Mexico earlier this year, worked fine. But they appear to have dropped the free incoming in Mexico, now $2.99/min! No notice to customers of course.

My 09 worked fine the previous year but didn't seem to work properly this year, but when it works it (with enlinea or gphone callback) is one of the cheapest ways to make calls from a mobile in Mexico for infrequent users. The domestic cards need recharging too often to be practical for me so far.

Existing cards were grandfathered. I just check the rate plan associated with both my cards and they still have Mexico in Zone 4a.

Thanks, I had just routinely checked the public rates, didn't notice the logged-into-account rates were different. That's good, could still be usable this winter.

I hope your trip isn't this week! Cancun's going to get hit pretty hard.

I am going to Riviera Maya later in the year. I will not be traveling around Mexico, only Riviera Maya. I want a SIM card where I can receive incoming calls from USA and not pay a per minute charge for these incoming calls (I realize the person calling me will be charged).

As long as the SIM card is purchased in Cancun or Playa del Carmen, is this how this works in Mexico?

I read somewhere about incoming calls being free and then someone told me that incoming calls originating outside Mexico are charged.