9 replies to this topic

[handogg]

Hey there all... I have an iphone that I take w/ me into TJ... sometimes I turn the iphone on.. the carrier will be set to either tel cel or ATT.  I would like to know if there is a way I can force the phone to Pick ATT.

The way it picks it's carrier now seems to be random.. even in San Ysidro the phone for whatever reason decided to connect thru TelCel..

Thanks All

[otayBill]

I told AT&T to turn off international roaming. I still cross over into Telcel lines but I don't get charged a ridiculos 'international roaming' fee if someone leaves a message on my phone. Now I can't answer the phone if it says Telcel.

Its best to get a carrier, like Cricket Wireless, which has no international roaming arrangement with a Mexican carrier. Therefore, the cross border reception is better. I've been told Virgin Mobile also has good TJ reception for the same reason.

[AcapulcoGringo]

Att is an American Company and has NO TOWERS in Mexico what so ever! SO.. You will ONLY pick up signal close to the border with ATT. Just bleed off from the towers in the US.. So If you set your phone only to connect to ATT, once you pass into TJ more than a few blocks , you will more than likely be constanly searching for a signal. Telcel is ATT roaming partner, as ATT is Telcels in the US, so that why they switch over.

So, some things aren't possible and this one is one of them.. If you want ATT, you cannot use it in mexico, Because, as per ATT/Telcel Agreements, once you cross the border, you become Telcels customer so they can charge high rates, and the same in reverse for telcel customers going into att territory!

Oh, and as OB said, there are carriers that seem to get good reception over here, but they all seem to be CDMA , NOT GSM!!
Sprint, Verizon, Cricket, and Virgin Mobile, are all CDMA technology and I guess the towers are stronger or closer, because all those seem to get US SIGNALS all over TJ,
but ATT and T MOBILE (GSM Technology ) seem not to work once crossed into Mexico.

[handogg]

Att is an American Company and has NO TOWERS in Mexico what so ever! SO.. You will ONLY pick up signal close to the border with ATT. Just bleed off from the towers in the US.. So If you set your phone only to connect to ATT, once you pass into TJ more than a few blocks , you will more than likely be constanly searching for a signal. Telcel is ATT roaming partner, as ATT is Telcels in the US, so that why they switch over.

So, some things aren't possible and this one is one of them.. If you want ATT, you cannot use it in mexico, Because, as per ATT/Telcel Agreements, once you cross the border, you become Telcels customer so they can charge high rates, and the same in reverse for telcel customers going into att territory!

Oh, and as OB said, there are carriers that seem to get good reception over here, but they all seem to be CDMA , NOT GSM!!
Sprint, Verizon, Cricket, and Virgin Mobile, are all CDMA technology and I guess the towers are stronger or closer, because all those seem to get US SIGNALS all over TJ,
but ATT and T MOBILE (GSM Technology ) seem not to work once crossed into Mexico.

I have an ATT phone.. I was staying at the Marriott in Tijuana on agua caliente blvd... A short cab ride from the border more than a few blox. I turned my phone on.. and the signal read ATT w/ 5 out of 6 bars... I turned the phone off and back on and was only able to see Tel Cel after that...

[AcapulcoGringo]

Chances are your phone software just was hung, or didnt change the carrier logo, but I would venture to guess you had telcel, and if you would have dialed a number it would have updated before the call went through. Phones have software like computers, but with much less processors, etc, so sometimes things get hung a a reset usually fixes them!

[Klort]

My phone doesn't get hung up with the carrier name.. and I can even select carriers manually. There is no way I can get T-Mobile or ATT driving on Blvd Agua Caliente, there's no way. Not even on Avd. Revolucion.

[AcapulcoGringo]

Well... thats ok, just because yours doesn't hang up, doesn't mean his didn't. What probably happened is he didn't open the phone until he got to the hotel ro something, and it just didn't update. There are thousands of different phones, running diffrent programs, different ages, etc.. All I was trying to tell him is although when he opened the phone and it said ATT, I am sure he wasn't getting ATT's signal. The phone just hadn't updated since he last used it in the US... it was a freak thing that's all.

Again, mostly JUST CDMA phones will keep thier carrier on the Mexico side (with the exception of Net10 and Tracfone because Carlos slim owns them and they change over and charge huge fees immediatly upon entering Mexico)

[Klort]

I was pointing out it was impossible to get ATT on Blvd. Agua Caliente - like you, I was sure it wasn't ATT. I have a very good phone here and when somebody said 5 out of 6 bars, I knew that was not possible, and I was agreeing with you his phone could be stuck on showing "ATT." My phone does not get stuck on showing carriers so I would know which carrier, but his phone could have been stuck. I didn't mean to sound like I disagreed, I was actually agreeing with you.

[AcapulcoGringo]

Well make it more clear next time then!! no, just kidding!

No, it was hard to understand your post.. I didnt mean to sound defensive either.. sorry!

so, Anyway, for the Origional Poster.. Its possible to set your Iphone to stay in ATT, BUT you will not get ANY signal if you do... so I hope all this answers your question!

[Cyanide41]

I have been on I8 out near el centro and the phone switched to telcel and the text queued text message sent out causing me to get charged int fees. It wasn't worth my time to fight for the quarter. I hate phone companies and their scams. I have a buddy that has a verizon phone and his ancient current plan includes int roaming. They are constantly trying to get him to change his plan but he won't for obvious reasons.