How To Call
Mexican Cellular Phones from Outside Mexico.

Say the Mexican cellular number is something like this:

044-987-1000-642

To call that number from usa you drop the 044 and add the 011-52. So you would dial

011-52-987-1000-643

Usage of cell phones in Cozumel

GSM and CDMA BOTH WORK

Updated 6/13/2005

First you must determine what type of phone that you have. The following chart will tell you for most cell phones services in the USA. If you are a Nextel customer (the only company not on the list) you can be either a CDMA or GSM depending the on your phone. You need to purchase a V505 phone that will work internationally, but will not work back in the states.

CDMA Cell Phones (Example Verizon CDMA Service)

Using your CDMA phone is the most economical way to use a cell phone in Mexico at least with Verizon. It will involve finding out which plan that you have and if you feel that you will be on the phone for any length of time then changing your plan for one month to the North America Choice. You must also change your phone system from “B” or “Automatic” to “A” which before you leave USA the following steps for the phone to work regardless of your plan. Check with your cell phone carrier before you leave. Some people in the Eastern States have told me they are already on “A” so then you do not have to change your phone system.

I travel with a Motorola T730 and these are the steps that I would take.

Most people probably with Verizon have the America’s Choice Plan. It will cost you $0.69 per minute to roam in Mexico under these plans.

America’s Choice

But you can change your phone to this plan and have no roaming charges for Cozumel. Once you get back from Cozumel you can change your plan back. So for $169 you can talk 3000 minutes while in Cozumel or which ever plan you choose.

North America Choice

IMPORTANT UPDATE on Verizon after spending two days on Cozumel: The Verizon phones that I had put into my article, which are the cheapest to use in Mexico had a problem.  We called Verizon and made the change in plans to the North American plan so that we could have 3000 minutes of calling for $169 and were told to do the *228 which we did.

When we got here we changed the band to A and thought that everything would be o.k.  Well it wasn't. Talking with Verizon once we got into Mexico and the phones did not work, they told me that we did the *228 too close to changing the plans and it had not taken the change in the phone, we would have to do *228 again.  But in order to do *228 you must be in the USA. So there went our chance to use the Verizon phones.

This being the case, you you should do the *228 just before leaving the USA and maybe check with Verizon that it
has gone through.  

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