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Old 11-01-2004   #1 (permalink)
ken in san jo
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Verizon Wireless coverage in PDC?

Anyone know if Verizon Wireless works in and around PDC? I was if I should bother activating it on my next trip.
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Old 11-01-2004   #2 (permalink)
denisea
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Verizon Wireless does work in and around PDC. This topic has been discussed quite a bit in the past... try a search on "Verizon" to read previous post on this subject. If you still require additional info, please come back and post them here.
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Old 11-01-2004   #3 (permalink)
playacarol
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Verizon has a new plan which is The North American Plan. It is $59.99 for 400 minutes with 1000 bonus minutes on weekends and nights after 9pm. You can change to this plan and then go back to your old plan easily. This must be done before leaving the US. When you come to Mexico you are "in network" so any calls to you from US or calls placed to US are no charge. Also you can call locally for no charge. As long as you don't go over 400 minutes. The only long distant charges would be if you gave your cell phone number to someone in Playa and they called..they would be calling through the US. I did this plan recently and it worked perfectly. A real saviing if you plan to call home alot.
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Old 12-23-2004   #4 (permalink)
sdeens
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a better explantion is needed regarding the use of making local VERIZON calls while physically being located in PDC with this new plan.

The way it works according to Verizon is that calls made locally by you (while your in PDC) are free or part of the North America's Choice plan, but calls made to you from a 3rd party that originates the local call while in Mexico are NOT covered by the plan or even its "in network" options or formerly referred to as "mobil to mobil" part of your plan...so its NOT for receiving local calls, but you can make a local call with it.

This plan was created ONLY if you plan to make long distance calls and don't want international charges or roam fees back into the United States, if the person calling you fron the US has verizon then it ONLY counts against their minutes if they have this plan as well..but nay other cell provdre or local teleco in the US will cobber then with feesif they call your Verizon cell while your in PDC.

incidently, the 1000 extra verzion minutes this plan includes aka: "in network" ONLY applies to calls made or received if the Verizon cell phone is physically located in the continental United States when the call is made to another Verizon cell phone.

breakdown:

1. calls from PDC to continental US= free (covered by this new plan--with consideration to whether its peak or off peak)--no fees of any kind.
2. calls from PDC to PDC--i.e making a local call to another persons cell (any provider or lan based mexican #)=free or part of this plan. so you can make local calls but NOT the other way around. It will be expensive for you to receive them in other words.
3. calls received from any US telephone or cell=free or part of this plan
4. calls received from another cell phone (any provider or any Mexican LAN based #) will NOT be free and are charged a stiff "long distance" fee plus possible international roaming charges per call received..so be careful who you accept calls from with this plan.

so if you subscribe to this plan, keep this is mind when giving out the cell # to the local gringos and despite what you hear from a Verizon customer service agent, do NOT let them tell you that "in network" calls work in PDC..because they do NOT and thus are ONLY useful minutes if you are physically located in continental United States and ONLY betwen verizon to verizon customers.

also, since Verizon charges by the minute for phone message retrieval this will drain your plan by upwards of 50-100 minutes per month depending on how many calls you receiver and how long they are. This is one of the annoying facts about verizon..since Sprint and the others do NOT charge against you when checking messages.

TIP: type in "33" will abruptly end a VERIZON voice message that you intend anyway to delete and save you some minutes/time...many of the customer service reps are told NOT to tell their customers that little trick.

a cheap way to check your voice messages with Verizon is to use SKYPE..this is a truly powerful and free internet tele software (mac and PC)..that can call any LAN/cell line in the U.S for $1.7 cents/minute..it is very smooth and clear and offers a cheap way to check messages with Verizon without wasting your precious minutes that this new US/Mexican long distance plan offers.

I buy blocks of minutes with SKYPE for $10 a shot. I use it with my laptop computer and log into the net using my wireless network adapter...at $1.7 cents per call to my US based Verizon cell # i can check thousands of calls befoire having to replenish it again and NOT waste my precious peak/off peak minutes.

best plan for the price offered by Verizon:

NORTH AMERICA's CHOICE:

$79.99--800 peak, 1000 off peak/weekend minutes (off peak after 9pm c.s.t)
--1000 "in network" verizon cell to Verizon cell--wont work in Mexico, only useful if your cell phone is physically in continenatla US.

This new Verizon plan is true digital-CDMA network based and is NOT an analog roam, but according to the techincal map (not avialabe on line but only at a Verizon store) i analyzed it covers PDC and is barely on the edge of the territory that Verizon is attempting to build in and around Cancun..so you will see dead zones between PDC and Cancun along the 307 highway and possibly in certain areas along the beaches..and most definately in the jungle, but the tourist section of PDC is covered well.

also you will need to update your cell phone's softeware when crossing in to the Mexican border so its upodated for Mexican roam compliance..*288 i believe
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Old 12-23-2004   #5 (permalink)
tommy
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this is pretty much the same for Cingular.....
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Old 12-23-2004   #6 (permalink)
sarita
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I didn't even know this Verizon plan worked in PDC. I've had this North America Choice plan for a while here in the states and I never knew this!!! Thanks for the update!! Also, I am moving to Playa the first week in Playa....it's probably more sensible for me to cancel my Verizon plan here and get a phone when I'm down there (in PDC), isn't it?? The only thing is that it's gonna take a while to get everyone from home my new # and then it will be a serious long distance call whenever someone from the states wants to call me, won't it?? (then again, maybe it's a good idea they all don't have the luxury of calling me whenever they want..... that is why I'm moving away and into Playadise, isn't it????) haha! I'd appreciate any suggestions you guys might have if you've been in the same situation...thanks a bunch!!
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