Cellphone network frequency question

[lionfish-eater]

Thanks in advance for any info.
Does anyone know which frequencies the carriers use in coz.
I have a 4g lte phone, but I was told I need a GSM capable phone.
I am on Verizon, if that make a difference.
Thanks

 

[kelemvor]

Verizon phones work in Cozumel but the roaming fees will kill you. Down there you roam onto the TelCel network, which is not very good. I think they were charging me like $10 for every 100MB of data. Even with good signal, the TelCel backend was not fast enough to stream anything or reliably upload my dive photos to facebook or flickr.

I think there are some roaming packages you can buy for Mexico which may make the pricing more favorable.

Telcel uses LTE Band 4 (1700/2100 AWS 1);UMTS 850;GSM/GPRS 1900 in Mexico.

Price wise, it might be better to purchase a TelCel SIM and use a native TelCel account while you're there. I didn't look into that myself. You might need to call Verizon before you leave and make sure your phone isn't network locked before hand. I've never tried this, but have read on other forums that you might have to do it.

TelCel worked fine for regular phone calls; it was their data service which sucked. Also, I found almost every wifi connection I tried down there to be pretty bad. The hotel's (Hotel Cozumel) uplink was far slower than they needed to serve the guests they had at the time. Going to town and using one from a restaurant that wasn't busy was the best I could come up with. That was good enough for VOIP calls, but still slow enough that I waited until I came home to upload my photos.

 

[lionfish-eater]

Thanks, for the LTE band info, my phone will work on 4, but not sure about gsm. I plan on borrowing an att or tmobile sim to check before I go since they are gsm.

 

[claymore]

I believe Verison in the US uses CDMA protocol which is not compatible with GSM. Check with Verison for compatibility and use.

 

[lionfish-eater]

Thanks, I did check with verizon first, in fact I have been into the LVS(local verizon shop) three times, and at least three hours over many calls to their phone support. I got my phone unlocked and have a travel plan, I just needed to know specifically which bands are used locally. I will probably pick up an old GSM I phone 5 on ebay just to be safe, they are less than $5.

unlocked + carrier friendly
Moto E⁴ Plus is unlocked for all major U.S. networks, like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. Enjoy the freedom to switch carriers but keep your phone.

operating system
Android™ 7.1, Nougat

system architecture/processor
Quad-core 1.4 GHz , Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 427

memory (RAM)
2 GB

storage (ROM)
16 GB / 32 GB

dimensions
155 x 77.5 x 9.55mm

weight
181g

display
5.5” HD (1280x720)
267ppi, GFF
2.5D cover Glass

battery
5000 mAh†
Embedded
10W rapid charger

water protection
Yes. Water-repellent coating.*

networks
GSM
CDMA
WCDMA
TDD
FDD

bands
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

CDMA 850

WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz

CDMA 1900/850+

LTE TDD Band 38/41

FDD Band 1/2/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/25/26/66

 

[DFDubb]

Verizon has a thing where you can use your phone in Mexico and Canada for like $2 bucks a day, but there is a very reasonable limit to the amount of data. I signed up a couple of years ago, but now whenever my phone connects in Mexico it simply asks me if I want to use it for the day for $2. Log into your account online and under "My Plan", you will have "International Options" where you can add a plan for your travel outside of the US. Then just use your phone as normal while there for a couple bucks a day. Once back in the US you don't have to do anything to turn it off.

 

[tridacna]

All this misinformation about GSM and CDMA. New Verizon phones use LTE (5G). Call them and enable international travel to Mexico. Your plan gets extended to include Mexico for $5/day.

Just call them and activate. You only pay for each day if you use the phone. Your data speeds may not always be 5G and can sink to 3G or even 2G at times. Enjoy your trip.

 

[Christi]

Tridacna beat me to it - but his info is spot on as far as adding a temporary travel plan - pretty much every carrier has that now - but you have to call your carrier to activate - they can't do it for you here.

Kelemvor - the Telcel Network is actually VERY good and very fast. It wasn't working well for you because you were not on a reciprocating plan and were relying on data roaming which is not going to give you the high data speeds. I have a T-Mobile account with a MX/Canada plan and consistently get the 4G. On my local Telcel phone, I consistently get LTE and 5G depending on where I am.

 

[tridacna]

Tridacna beat me to it - but his info is spot on as far as adding a temporary travel plan - pretty much every carrier has that now - but you have to call your carrier to activate - they can't do it for you here.

Kelemvor - the Telcel Network is actually VERY good and very fast. It wasn't working well for you because you were not on a reciprocating plan and were relying on data roaming which is not going to give you the high data speeds. I have a T-Mobile account with a MX/Canada plan and consistently get the 4G. On my local Telcel phone, I consistently get LTE and 5G depending on where I am.

Glad to hear that about TM. I consult with the carriers here about international roaming and was wondering about TM. Good to hear that it’s good.

 

[flyboy08]

For $25 I add 1GB/500 minutes talk and messenger for a month...Verizon....if on wifi, then use whatApp or another user free program.