Calling and data roaming from your Mexican cellphone across North America

Since then, the Mexican cellular telephone market has been undergoing some major reforms too, and you can now elect to buy a plan that, for a modest monthly fee, gives unlimited calling and SMS messages to all phones across Mexico, the United States, and Canada—and you can also use the mobile data included in your plan across all three countries without any data roaming costs.  These “unlimited” deals are also available on pay-as-you-go monthly plans: there is no need to sign a long term contract.

Month-to-month plans without a contract

By way of example: AT&T, Telcel, Movistar and Virgin Mobile currently offer a month-to-month plans (no contract) for MXN$200 pesos (US$9) that includes unlimited call minutes and SMS messages across North America (Mexico, the US and Canada), and at least 2 GB of data.  Unlimited use of data across Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp is also included in these plans.  Visit the websites of the mobile operators to learn about these new unlimited plans which offer good value for money.

Plans last for 30 days and can be renewed or not, as you wish: automatic renewal can be set-up, or you can renew manually at the end of each 30-day billing period. If you don’t renew the plan, your tariff reverts to a peso-per-minute (or per-MB) rate.  If you use up all your data quota before the 30 days, you can pay-per-MB until the plan’s renewal date, or re-initiate your plan for an additional 30 days starting on the (earlier) date of the renewal.

Annual contracts available if you want one

If you prefer a cellphone contract, you can sign-up for a year or more and get a plan that includes a phone, unlimited minutes and set amounts of data each month (depending on the contract).  These plans will tether (lock) the phone to the network operator you have a contract with.

It’s never been less expensive to keep in touch from Mexico and across the US and Canada

When lower residential phone line tariffs came into force at beginning of 2015, many people didn’t believe it was true until they started getting their first phone bills that year and saw that calls to Mexican cell phone and long distance calls across the country —and the world— were being charged at zero rates, all included in the monthly plan, which also includes fixed-line high-speed internet.

Now with the Mexican cellular market offering great deals on no-contract “pay-as-you-go” plans, Mexico is one of the least expensive countries in the world to own and use a mobile phone: staying in touch with friends, family, and business contacts on the move in Mexico and when roaming with a Mexican cell phone in the United States and Canada has never been easier and less expensive than it is today.

Learn more about keeping in touch in Mexico

Our guides and articles about communications help you keep in touch when you’re in Mexico: by phone, by internet and by post/courier.

• The cost of communications services in Mexico
• Learn about internet services in Mexico
• Wireless high speed internet at home via mobile and satellite
• How to dial numbers to, from and within Mexico

Some house rentals include the cost of some (or all) utilities in the monthly rent, but most long term rentals don’t include utility costs and require you to pay for most or all utilities separately.

This article summarizes the principal utility costs in Mexico with references to sites that show current rates and prices for utilities and communication services.

Electricity costs in Mexico

Electricity bills in Mexico are dispatched every two months. The electric company is very efficient at sending out technicians to cut your supply off if you are late with payment. If you have a new-style electronic meter, your service can be cut off remotely, without the need for a technician to visit the property.

Current prices: You can find the current rates from this page on the CFE’s web site (Spanish).  Choose the “Domesticas – 1” option for residential electricity prices.

Domestic gas costs in Mexico

Some properties in larger towns or cities can be supplied with gas from a main-feed network in the area that distributes natural gas directly to homes.  However, most residential homes in Mexico use liquefied petroleum gas—a mixture of propane and butane and called Gas LP.

LP gas can be delivered in portable tanks, which are replaced when empty, or pumped from a large tank on a truck into a smaller stationary tank located on a roof, or at some other safe outdoor location on the property.

Current prices: You can find gas prices by region on this official website.  The form asks for your state, city, and municipality. When you submit the form, you’ll be presented with two tables: one for the price of gas per liter—for stationary tanks and mains-fed gas; the second with price of gas per kilo. Portable tanks come in various sizes; the most common is the 30kg tank that equates to about 55 liters of LP gas.

The cost of water in Mexico

How you pay for your home’s water supply will depend on how the water is delivered to the property.  Water in Mexico is delivered via mains-feed, or a communally run feed from local water springs, or a combination of rain collection and local water delivery by truck.

You’ll also need to consider water for drinking—most people use filters to purify the water that comes to their home before drinking it or buy pre-filtered water in 20-liter bottles. See the references below for details about this.

Current prices: Prices for mains-fed water vary by region, city and even neighborhood. Communally run systems usually charge an annual fee.  Water trucks charge per delivery, usually 5,000 or 10,000 liters, and prices vary by location and by season.  For an average residential home you ought to budget for around $500 pesos per month if your water is mains-fed; $500-to-$1000 pesos a month for communal systems; and around $800-$1000 pesos per 10,000 liters of water taken to your home via water delivery truck.

Pay TV and Streaming services in Mexico

If you’re a sports fan, or seeking to access other premium content in Mexico, you’ll need to subscribe to a Pay TV or Streaming service.

• The table below displays a summary of the principal service providers.
• Some providers offer internet access as well as Pay TV packages.
• You can browse latest prices and offers by visiting the providers’ websites—tap/click the name.

Telephone, internet, and mobile phone services

Mexico offers a choice of communication service providers offering fixed line, mobile, mobile data, and satellite communications services.

Fixed line communications

Fixed-line telephone and cable services are widely available across towns and cities in Mexico, although some rural areas may rely on mobile communications only. Monthly fixed-line monthly package fees include all telephone calls across Mexico and to most (but not all) countries around the world—as well as unlimited high-speed internet.

Packages and prices: Package prices start at around $400 pesos a month but can rise to $1,000 pesos a month or more if you want higher internet speeds, and/or more channels in the case of Cable TV services.

Mobile phones

Mexico has an extensively developed mobile phone network and several mobile phone companies competing for customers.  You can choose a monthly contract, that usually includes the cost of a phone, or you can choose a ‘pre-pay’ phone plan that you top up each month, without being tied to a contract.

Packages and prices: Mobile phone packages include a monthly data allowance, and all telephone calls across Mexico, the US and Canada.  Package offers vary: monthly contracts start at around $200 pesos a month, and ‘pre-pay’ top-ups packages range from $50 pesos to $500 pesos.  See the references below for mobile phone companies, connect to their websites and find the latest offers there.

Mobile phone data

You can purchase a special modem and get high speed internet in your home from the mobile data network.

Internet by satellite

If you live in a remote area, or area not served by high speed internet, or you want a backup to your fixed line service, you can get satellite by internet in Mexico, including from Starlink.

Directory of communications companies

These are the principal communication companies in Mexico:

• Telmex (Fixed line internet and phone)
• IZZI (Fixed line internet and phone)
• AT&T (Fixed line and mobile/data services)
• Telcel (Mobile, mobile data)
• Movistar (Mobile, mobile data)
• Virgin Mobile (Mobile, operates using Movistar network)
• Starlink (Satellite)
• HughesNet (Satellite)
• ViaSat (Satellite)

Postal services and couriers

Although the digital age has removed the need for lots of paper envelopes to be sent around the world, there is still a need for paperwork sometimes, and online shopping has made parcel delivery the backbone of the new postal service.

Mexico’s postal service

Despite the ‘bad press’ it receives, Mexico’s postal service is not as poor as many people make it out to be, but it is slow. It is fair to say that the service is more reliable in larger towns and cities than in provincial towns and villages, and it can take weeks for a letter to arrive at its destination, but the post does tend make it to its destination eventually, even to the smaller towns and villages.  To send documents and parcels reliably and in timely fashion, must use a courier service—see next section.

Courier and postal delivery services

If you need to send anything physically by post which is time sensitive and/or valuable, you must use one of the courier services available in Mexico as the national postal service cannot be relied upon in these circumstances.

If you order anything from one of the major online shopping portals, they will use a private courier service with trace-able deliveries to send the item(s) to your home.

Couriers offers competitive rates (although shipping rates worldwide have risen significantly), with modern booking and tracking systems that enable you to purchase your delivery service online, have someone pick it up (or you can take it to a local collection agency) and then track its progress online right through to its final destination.

Principal courier companies in Mexico

The major couriers operating in Mexico are:

• DHL Mexico;
• UPS Mexico;
• FedEx Mexico;
• Estafeta (Mexico’s leading national courier service);
• MexPost (this is the courier division of the national postal service).

Learn about living costs in Mexico

Mexperience publishes a series of articles about living costs to help you consider your choices, research prices, and create a budget that’s based on your personal lifestyle situation.

• How to calculate your living costs in Mexico
• The typical costs of running an automobile in Mexico
• Directory of stores, supermarkets and services in Mexico
• Read the latest articles about living costs in Mexico

What is internet via satellite

Internet access via satellite works in the same way as internet provided via a landline or a cellphone tower; the difference is that the signal is picked up using a special satellite antenna.

The companies that offer internet satellite services provide a ‘kit’ that is straightforward to install and includes a special router and cable that connects to the satellite antenna.  The router provides WiFi in your home and delivers high-speed internet access in the same way as other services.

Internet via satellite may also be used when you are moving about, for example, in your Recreational Vehicle (RV), as well as on boats.

A key difference between satellite and other services is that the monthly cost is higher, and speed and reliability might fluctuate, especially during difficult weather conditions.

Who is satellite internet suited to?

Satellite internet access is ideal when you live ‘off the telephone grid’ or in an area where cellphone coverage is poor.

Mexico’s topography inland is mountainous and rugged in places; if you choose to live in a rural or semi-rural area of Mexico, telephone lines might not be readily available (or speeds offered might be slow), and cell phone coverage might be patchy.  In these situations, a satellite antenna can deliver high-speed internet —and all related services, like phone calls and video conferencing— to your rural home in Mexico.

If you live on boat in Mexico, or you have a RV, satellite internet can also provide you with a high-speed internet solution.

Satellite internet may also be used as a ‘backup’ in case other internet services fail, in cases where it’s essential that you remain online.

Cost-benefit of satellite service vs other options

Internet via satellite is the most expensive internet access service, but prices for hardware and subscriptions have been falling in recent times, making the monthly fees more affordable, and initial set-up costs less expensive.

• If a landline is available in your area, this will provide the most reliable high-speed internet at the lowest monthly cost, usually with a low or no setup fee, offering the highest speeds with no limits on data transfer.
• If landlines are not available where your home is situated (or the lines offered can only deliver slow internet speeds) but there is good cell phone coverage, you can opt for home WiFi service delivered by cell phone companies. The monthly fees for this service are about the same as a landline package, but speeds and data transfer allowances are limited.
• If your home is not well served by a landline or the cell phone coverage is poor, or if you want a backup to your landline service, you can opt for a satellite internet service. You will need to spend some money buying the special hardware, and monthly fees higher than what you will pay for a landline or cellphone internet coverage.

How can I get satellite internet service in Mexico

There are three companies in Mexico offering internet services via satellite.  The newest is Starlink, who was granted a license to operate in Mexico in the summer of 2021.  You can learn more about the services and compare package prices on their respective websites:

• Starlink: The global satellite internet system being rolled out by Elon Musk. The company has recently halved the monthly fee, bringing the cost into line with competitors.  Starlink ships the dish to your home for self-installation; the dish auto-configures itself and does not require a technician to visit.  Starlink’s satellites are much closer to Earth, making the service more reliable, especially during wind and rain storms.
• HughesNet Mexico: An established provider of high-speed internet services with packages for home and businesses.  A technician visits your home to install the dish.  They offer a 30-day contract cancellation guarantee in the case that the service doesn’t work well in your area, but you must cancel in this time frame or keep the year-long contract.
• ViaSat Mexico: Offers high-speed internet services for home and businesses. A technician visits your home to install the dish.

Learn more about staying in touch when you’re in Mexico

Mexperience offers articles, guides, and local knowledge to help you stay in touch while you are visiting or living in Mexico:

• Latest articles about internet and WiFi services in Mexico
• Wireless Home Internet Services in Mexico
• Mexican cell phone calling plans for North America
• Guide to communications in Mexico

What is wireless home internet?

Wireless home internet is not a new technology: it combines cellular data signals with a special modem that creates a WiFi signal in your home or office.  You need to purchase a special modem and sign-up for a plan to access internet in this way.

The modem comes with a SIM card (like the type used in your mobile phone) but you won’t have a cellular telephone number people can dial.  When you power-up your modem, it automatically picks-up the cellular data mobile signal and then creates a local WiFi network for you to access in your home in the same way that a landline-based modem does.

What wireless home internet offers

Customers purchase a special modem from AT&T or Telcel, and then take-up a monthly plan which ranges from $300 pesos to $800 pesos a month (about US$15-$40) depending on the download speed and amount of data you require per month.  Check the companies’ websites for package details and coverage areas (links below).

Opportunities and limitations

Wireless home internet offers some opportunities to consumers, as well as limitations in comparison to landline-based internet services:

Opportunities

• If the area where your home or work place is situated does not have a telephone line or cable service installed, you can use wireless home internet to provision a high-speed internet service there, in a similar way that you can enjoy high speed internet with a landline-based service like Telmex’s Infinitum/Macronet or Izzi’s internet cable service
• Some areas in Mexico –especially rural areas– may lack physical telephone line infrastructure and/or have waiting lists for physical phone lines to be provisioned, preventing you from getting a landline and thus high-speed internet.  If cellular data coverage is available in that area, this situation need not be a limitation anymore as you can enjoy high speed internet without the physical landline
• If you rely on internet for work, then a wireless home internet service could provide a useful fallback in the event that your landline-based internet provider suffers a service fault.  Note that wireless home internet modems, like all others, rely on a steady electricity supply, so you may need to couple it with a back-up battery to continue having internet during power cuts
• If you work in a team that travels frequently, you might use wireless home internet to set-up WiFi hot-spots on-the-fly in places served by a cellular data network.  (The modem ‘detects’ where it is first activated and there is fee to change the location of the wireless modem, so if you intend to use it this way, or move house, note that additional costs will apply.)

Limitations

• This is not a telephone service in the traditional sense, so you’re not given a phone number people can dial, nor a physical landline supporting the service.
• While the 5Mbps to 10Mbps is a decent-enough download speed for most people, it’s limited in comparison to landlines which can now deliver download speeds of 50Mbps or higher in many places. Note that in Mexico’s rural areas, where this service could be particularly useful, download speeds don’t tend to be higher than 10Mbps.
• Wireless cellular data signals are subject to atmospheric conditions, so service levels could fluctuate significantly during Mexico’s rain season and other natural phenomena like wind storms and hurricanes.
• Telephone lines are generally more stable than cellular data signals, and when you purchase a landline telephony package you get a telephone number as well as free telephone calls to most countries around the world included in the price of your monthly plan.  Cable services also offer TV options, and Telmex bundles free access to thousands of its public WiFi hot-spots situated around the country as part of its home internet package.  If you used only a wireless home service for internet, you would give-up these additional benefits landline services offer
• Landline services offer unlimited data downloads; and while some wireless home internet services are marketed with ‘unlimited data usage’ they need to add fair use limitation clauses to their terms to protect the integrity of their cellular networks.  The fair use data limit will probably suffice for most domestic users; however, if you use the internet a lot for data-heavy applications, for example, if you stream a lot of movies or your work involves data-heavy applications or graphics work, you might reach your data limit before the end of each monthly billing cycle
• While cellular data is widespread (and improving) across Mexico, it’s not available everywhere and where it is, service levels will be subject to local demand. During periods of peak local demand in your area (for example, if you live near a soccer stadium or concert hall, or in a rural town that receives hordes of visitors at weekends) your internet speed is likely to be affected when the number of active users situated inside your local ‘cell’ increases.
• Internet in Mexico via satellite services is becoming less expensive, offers considerably faster speeds that wireless home internet modems, and does not restrict your total bandwidth per month as home internet modem plans tend to.

How to obtain wireless home internet in Mexico

The service should be available anyplace where mobile data signals exist.

If you don’t have good cellphone coverage in your area, or the cellphone companies don’t offer this home Wi-Fi service in your area, you can consider using a satellite internet service.

• Details of AT&T’s wireless home internet can be found here.
• Details of Telcel’s wireless home internet can be found here.

Visit the websites to find out more about the services and coverage or call-in to a local sales and service center near your home to ask for details.

WiFi spots are widely available across Mexico, and you’ll find them even in some of the country’s (semi)rural areas.  Some require you to have an account or service, but many remain open to the public at no charge.  Here are some current tips about how to go about getting connected to WiFi hot-spots here, as well as a note about using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to protect your privacy when using publicly-accessible WiFi networks.

Common places where you’ll find public WiFi connections in Mexico

Airports: Mexico’s airports offer public internet access over WiFi, although you will need an account for Telmex’s high-speed internet service known as ‘Infinitum’, or a US airtime provider with whom Telmex has a roaming agreement: there are several including AT&T and Boingo; check with your airtime provider to see if they have an agreement with Telmex.  You can alternatively purchase an access token online from the Telmex portal that presents itself when connect to the network.

Coffee shops and restaurants: Some coffee shops, cafés and restaurants at airports offer free WiFi to customers.  Free WiFi access is offered at almost every coffee shop and bistro across Mexico, whether its an independent establishment or a national chain, like Starbucks.  Ask at the counter for the access code.

Mexicos’ national diner chains: All of Mexico’s principal food diner chains offer free WiFi access to their customers. Ask the waiting staff for details.

Public parks, plazas, and museums: Many municipalities across Mexico are now providing free public WiFi access in public parks and plazas (especially the main square or zocalo of each town) as well in other public buildings including libraries and clinics.  The quality of service at these public spaces can be hit-and-miss sometimes, and connection speeds can be slow when there are many people around.  Some museums also offer free WiFi to visitors.  You should always use a VPN (see below) if you connect via one of these public spaces.

Hotels and AirBnB: Most hotels and all AirBnBs in Mexico offer WiFi access to guests.  Some hotel chains charge an additional daily fee for the access—check with the hotel you are staying at.  Smaller independent hotels in Mexico, as well as AirBnB rooms and spaces, tend to offer WiFi access included the nightly room charge.

Extended stays: If you plan to stay in Mexico for an extended period of time, or you plan to live in Mexico, high-speed internet access is readily available from fixed-line telephone and cable companies, data plans for local mobile phones, as well an mobile data modems you can install and use at home.

Internet via Satellite: If you’re situated in a very rural location, satellite internet services are also available, although they are more expensive than internet served over landline and mobile networks.

How to stay in contact using the telephone, cellular and internet services, the Mexican postal services, and other couriers when visiting or living in Mexico.

Mexico offers a wide range of telephone services from simple land-line telephone services to high-speed internet services as well as the latest 3rd Generation (“3G”), 4th Generation (“4G”) and LTE (Long Term Evolution) mobile technologies.

Landline Telephones in Mexico

Mexico’s telephone network is one of the most well-developed in Latin America. Penetration of land-lines never reached those of the US or western Europe, and are now never likely to as the introduction of mass-market mobile telephones in the mid 1990’s meant that people turned to wireless connections and demand for land-lines declined, especially in more remote areas.

One of the biggest pricing shake-ups in the history of Mexican telecommunications took effect at midnight on January 1, 2015 with the introduction of new legislation which seeks to reform the communications marketplace and make prices more competitive. The law introduced two key changes to telephony pricing in Mexico:

All calls are charged as local calls: By legal decree, the pricing regime for ‘long distance’ calls, previously known as LADA, an acronym for Larga Distancia, from land lines was disbanded effectively making all calls from land lines priced as local calls.

No long-distance cell phone charges: A previous law passed in 2014 had made it illegal for cell phone companies to charge for incoming calls when your cell phone is roaming out of its area code.The 2015 law change disbanded the price distinction between calls to local cell phones and out of area cell phones from land lines—so as of now, dialing an out-of-area cell phone from a land line (using the prefix 045) is now charged as a local call.

In practice, the law changes have caused telecom companies to include all calls from land lines to local, national and cell phone numbers within the price of their packages, which also come with a high-speed internet connection as standard. Telephone companies have gone further and are also including calls to many international destinations at no additional cost. Making telephone calls from a land line in Mexico has never been less expensive.

Since then, a shake-up in the cellular telephony market during 2016 has also created a very competitive market for cell phone plans in Mexico.

Phones at Hotels in Mexico

Most major hotels in Mexico, from mid-range prices upwards, will provide an in-room telephone which can be used for local, national and international phone dialing.

As with all hotels worldwide, any calls other than local calls (which are sometimes free, but not always) may be charged at a significant premium: check the call charges and compare this to your cell phone’s roaming charges (it might be less expensive) and if you are traveling with a smart phone, tablet, or laptop, consider using the hotel’s WiFi to make long distance calls instead as this will be much less expensive.

The advent of internet connections and mobile phones has made telephone calling from hotels an obsolescent activity. If you find that you have to use your hotel room’s phone for long distance or international calling, we recommend you use a calling card which provides a toll-free or local-rate number to access the service and will charge you less than hotel charges for long distance calls.  Check with the hotel to ensure that charges to access toll-free (01-800) numbers are fee-free, or at best, very low.  Some hotels in Mexico often make a fixed-fee charge of around US$1 for a toll-free call, regardless of its duration.

Public Phones in Mexico

In the days before cell phones — and free calling over services like Skype, WhatsApp and Telegram — pay phones were everywhere in Mexico and there would often be a line of people waiting to use one. Today, even people on low incomes in Mexico have a cell phone and the demand for pay phone usage has virtually collapsed.

Telmex manages most of the remaining pay phones in Mexico and these only work with Telmex’s pre-paid phone cards. Independent operators still provide coin-operated phones, although these are usually limited to urban areas and particularly town centers.  You can buy prepaid Telmex phone cards in convenience stores, but as the demand for these falls, so will the distribution of them; if you want a Telmex calling card for a Telmex pay phone and can’t find one in a local store, your nearest branch of Sanborns is likely to stock some.

Land Line Call Charges in Mexico

With the advent of the new laws passed in 2014 and 2015, call charges are low in Mexico and usually included in the cost of your monthly telephone package, and cellular telephony plans now offer comprehensive packages for modest monthly fees. For the latest prices on telephony in Mexico connect to the Mexico Cost of Living Report.

Local Call Charges – All calls in Mexico from land lines are now charged as local calls. Depending on your telephony package, you may get a set number of local calls per month, or unlimited local calls—which means unlimited local calls, national calls, and calls to cell phones.

National Call Charges – Following the law changes which took effect on January 1, 2015, there is no longer a national call charge rate in Mexico from land lines: all calls from residential landlines are charged as local calls.

Call Charges to Cell Phones – Since January 1, 2015 all call charges to cell phones are treated as local calls. If you see a 044 or 045 prefix in front of a number you know this is a Mexican cell phone.  See dialing cell phones, below.

International Call Charges – International calls used to be expensive from land lines in Mexico. However, the advent of internet connections led to the widespread use of low cost alternatives (and other services like WhatsApp and FaceTime which by-passed telephone lines completely). Today, telephone companies in Mexico include international calls from land lines as part of the telephony packages they sell and it’s very inexpensive to call to most (not all) countries from Mexico.

Cell Phones (Mobile Phones) in Mexico

About Using Cell Phones in Mexico

Mexico has an extensive cellular telephone network. The principal operators here are Telcel, AT&T, Movistar, and Virgin Mobile.

Telcel has the most extensive network coverage across Mexico although other operators are catching up and have good coverage especially in urban areas and along the country’s main road highways. In rural areas, Telcel may be the only network available.

Cell Phone Call Charges in Mexico

Cellular call charges have been steadily dropping, and today Mexico is one of the least expensive places in the world to own and use a mobile telephone.

No more national roaming charges: A law passed in 2014 made it illegal for Telcel, the country’s incumbent cell phone operator, to charge users for incoming calls on their cell phones when the phone was outside of its local area code—and other networks followed suit. So now, if your cell phone has a Mexico City number (area code 55) and you travel any area outside your cellphone’s core area, you are no longer charged for incoming calls, as you used to be.

Cellular Call Plans in Mexico: After a market shake-up of landline telephone prices in Mexico, the cellular market has also undergone colossal changes, with modestly-priced plans which offer unlimited calling and SMS messages across all of North America (Mexico, the US and Canada) and also include a generous mobile data allowance each month.

See: Mexican Cell Phones: Unlimited Calling Plans for North America

Contract Cell Phones

If you are in Mexico for a longer period of time, you might elect to buy a contract phone. Some contracts offer lower call charges but come with a line rental and minimum contract terms (12-24 month terms are typical). The line rental usually includes the purchase of a new smartphone; at the end of the contract term, you get to keep the phone.  If you are “out of contract” or have a smartphone you purchased separately, you can get a lower rental rate per month. Or you could elect for a “pay-as-you-go” (pre-pay) cell phone…

Prepay (“Pay-As-You-Go”) Cell Phone Plans in Mexico

With the advent of unlimited calling plans across North America and no need to have a contract to get access to the lowest call rates, Prepay cell phones are very attractive propositions in Mexico.

If you have your own smartphone, either because the one you purchased on contract is now paid for (and you’re free to un-tether it from the network you were contracted to) or if you purchased a smartphone that was never tethered to a network (“unblocked”), then you can get a SIM card from any Mexican network operator and begin to enjoy low cost cell phone services in Mexico, the USA and Canada.

“SIM” Cards for Use in Mexico

If you bring a cell phone from overseas that is not tethered to a phone network in your home country then you can purchase a SIM card with a Mexican telephone number in Mexico and top-up that card for use while you are in Mexico. (See blue box, above, for details.) This is much less expensive than roaming internationally on a cell phone from your home country.  If your phone is tethered to a network, you have the option to purchase smartphone separately.

Roaming with Your International Cell Phone

If you have a modern mobile phone, you can now take it with you and use it in Mexico, provided that your service provider back home has enabled international roaming on your account and has a reciprocal arrangement with the operator in Mexico.  Beware! The roaming charges from non-Mexican cellphone operators can be very high: If you are a company user with an allowance, your allowance may get used up faster than you think; if the phone is for personal use, it’s probably best to keep the phone in hand for emergencies and short calls home.  A better option may be to buy a SIM card in Mexico (see previous section for details).

Internet Access / Data on Smart Phones in Mexico

Increasingly, people are using their mobile phones for internet across the mobile network instead of voice calls; and many of those use internet services like FaceTime and Skype to make voice calls instead of using the telephone network.

If you are roaming with your international smartphone in Mexico take note that data roaming charges can be very high; contact your cell phone provider to ask if they offer and international data roaming plan you can use while in Mexico, as ad-hoc (out of plan) use of the data network is excessively expensive. Cell phone contracts in Mexico (as well as pay-as-you-go plans) offer some data allowance.

If your home carrier does not offer an international calling plan at reasonable rates, you might consider purchasing a SIM card in Mexico and signing-up to a 30 day plan that gives you unlimited calling to the USA and Canada as well as a generous data allowance. Doing this will be much less expensive than using your home cell phone SIM on roaming in Mexico (see Traveler’s “SIM” Cards for Use in Mexico, above).

Calls to Cell Phones and Mobiles in Mexico

Mexico has certain (complicated) protocols for dialing to and from cell phones. See the section below— Dialing Phones in Mexico— for full details.

Using services like WhatsApp, FaceTime, iMessage, etc. in Mexico

If you own a smartphone, you probably use at least one of the ‘Messaging’ services listed above—and likely more than one.

In addition to sending text and images, these services now also allow you to make voice and/or video calls between cell phones as well.  When you make voice/video calls, you utilize your data allowance if your phone is not connected to a WiFi network.

If you have a smartphone on a Mexican cell phone plan: Messages, images and calls made using services like WhatsApp, FaceTime, iMessage and Telegram use up your data allowance when your smartphone is not connected to WiFi.

If you have a smartphone that is ‘roaming’ in Mexico: Messages, images and calls made using services like WhatsApp, FaceTime, iMessage and Telegram use up your roaming data allowance when your smartphone is not connected to WiFi.  Beware that data roaming charges can be very high. See also Internet Access on Cell Phones in Mexico on this guide.

How To Dial Phones and Cell Phones in Mexico

Mexico Dialing Codes

In November 2001, Mexico’s telephone exchange numbers underwent a major upgrade. Refer to the Telephone Dialing Codes Table for Mexico for a list of cities and dialing codes for cities and towns in Mexico.

Calls to and From Mexican Phones (Land Lines)

Local Calls – To make local calls dial the area code and the local number.  Some cities have a two digit area code and eight numbers, and others have a three digit area code and seven numbers. In all cases, there is a total of ten numbers to dial.

National Calls – Dial the area code, followed by telephone number.

International Calls – To access a number outside of Mexico, you need to prefix the number with 00 (the international access code), then dial the country code, and then the national area code, and then the local number.

Dialing TO Mexico From overseas – Dial the International access code (in most cases this is 00, in the USA it is 001) followed by Mexico’s country code (52), the area code in Mexico (see National Calls, above) and then the seven or eight digit local number.

Calling Toll-Free Numbers in the USA from Mexico:

If you are in Mexico and you want to contact someone in the USA who is advertising a toll-free number, you will need to dial. Note that the 1-800 number in the USA must accept international calls for this to work.  If you use Skype, you can dial 1-800 numbers in the US without any difficulty.

“001” then the 10 digit 800 number excluding the 1

For example: 001-800 123 4567 or, e.g. 001-880-123 4567.

Calls to Mexican Cell Phones in Mexico, and from Abroad

Please read this article to learn about current rules for getting connected to Mexican cell phones

See Also: Fixed-line call charges drop sharply in Mexico

Internet and Email Access in Mexico

High Speed internet lines are now widely available in most towns and cities in Mexico, which is making Internet access ubiquitous in many offices, homes and other public spaces.

High Speed Internet (Broadband ADSL) in Mexico

Telmex, Mexico’s incumbent telephone company, has invested heavily in the creation and delivery of a high speed internet network across Mexico. Their ADSL service, with a trade name of “Infinitum” offers three levels of service with packages that include local, national and international calls from the land line in addition to the high speed internet. Subscribers to Telmex’s ADSL service may also use the extensive network of “Infinitum” WiFI access hotspots the company manages, which are available at shops, restaurants and most airports, free of charge using their client ID and password.

Internet Service via Cable in Mexico

In certain regions, cable companies offer excellent high-speed internet services in addition to TV channels. If you are in an area where cable is available, you may want to consider it as an alternative to Telmex’s Infinitum product. The disadvantage of cable is that you miss out on the “Infinitum WiFi” access from thousands of hot-spots across Mexico, which comes included in Telmex’s ADSL package.

Home Internet Over Cellular Networks in Mexico

Wireless home internet services are emerging in Mexico.  This service combines cellular data signals with a special modem that picks-up the cellular data signal in your area and creates a WiFi network in your home or office, just as a landline-based service does.  Unlike cellular telephone plans, these services offer “unlimited” data downloads, although terms usually contain a “fair use” clause limiting absolute data usage.

See Also: Wireless Home Internet Services in Mexico

Internet on Your Smartphone or Mobile Devices in Mexico

Mexico now offers high speed internet access over the latest high speed cellular networks. Telmex, AT&T, Movistar and Virgin Mobile all offer a high-speed service which is accessed directly over smart phones and other devices e.g. iPad, or via a special “aerial” plugged into a laptop’s USB port.  If you have an wireless internet plan with a phone company in your home country, you may be able to access one of Mexico’s networks automatically. Check with your local provider about international data roaming access and charges. See also Internet Access on Cell Phones in Mexico on this guide.

Safety and Privacy Using WiFi Networks in Mexico

Internet Cafes

Just about every town and city in Mexico has at least one Internet Cafe, where you can surf the web and check for email online.

Look for signs reading “Acceso a Internet” or “Cibernautica” or “Cibercafe.” Charges range from approx. US$1 an hour to US$3 an hour, depending on the location.

As more people travel with laptops, smart phones and other devices like iPads, and WiFi connections become more frequent, the role of the Internet Cafe has less importance now than it did a few years ago. However, many people still want to travel without lugging computer equipment (especially on vacation) and Internet Cafes also provide ‘community services’ for travelers, food and drink, long distance phone call services, and local knowledge and contacts for people, and are not likely to disappear anytime soon.

Internet Access for Longer Stays in Mexico

If you plan to stay in Mexico a while, perhaps rent an apartment or share a house, live and work, enjoy a retirement in Mexico, or perhaps invest in your own home in Mexico, you can opt to get high-speed (ADSL) Internet access from Telmex (the biggest), or other service providers.

Broadband / High Speed Internet (ADSL) is now a ubiquitous product in Mexico: every land line package includes a high speed internet connection.

If you have a local Mexican cell phone, both contract and pre-paid plans offer access to the country’s modern and extensive high-speed mobile data networks, connecting your smart phone to the internet simply and seamlessly.

See Also: Mexico Cost of Living Guide – which includes sections about communication service options and prices in Mexico.

The Postal Service in Mexico

You’ll find a post office (Oficina de Correos) in almost every town and in every city in Mexico.

Stamps can be bought from post offices or stamp machines, located outside the post offices, at bus stations, airports and some commercial establishments (but not many).

Airmail letters will have to be weighed at the post office and stamps to the postage value bought.

For urgent items and packages of high value, it’s probably best to use a courier (like FedEx or UPS instead).

If you’re sending a package internationally (perhaps something you bought in Mexico that you want to post home to avoid carrying it), take the package OPEN to the post office, they may want to inspect it. Seal it up at the post office. Remember that the local customs office in your home country will inspect all inward parcels; so if the item is of high value, you could end up paying import duties and sales tax at your doorstep back home.

Delivery times will vary; but a letter or postcard from Mexico will take about a week to get to the US/Canada, between 1 and 2 weeks to make its way back to Europe or Australia. Parcels in the regular post may take a little longer. Couriers can get parcels to / from the US within 12 hours (best), Europe within about 48 hours (best) – but it is considerably more expensive.

Mexico’s Postal Service often gets a “bad press”, but in our experience the service is reliable for letters, postcards, greetings cards, etc. Items sent from abroad to Mexico City can arrive within a few short days; if they are being taken out to Mexico’s provinces, this can add a week or more delay to their delivery time. Items which are critical or of high value should be sent by courier.

See Also: Postman’s Day in Mexico

Receiving Letter Post in Mexico

Despite the bad press, Mexico’s postal service is not as bad as people make it out to be. It is fair to say that the service is more reliable in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey (Mexico’s big cities), and larger, more industrialized cities, than in provincial towns and villages.

As for getting letter post delivered to your home, Mexico employs a small army of postal delivery personnel (the majority are men) who ride motorcycles delivering letters to domestic addresses. They will leave letters in your letter box, or slide them under your door. Some apartment blocks have individual letter boxes: usually the letters for a whole building are left ‘en bloc’ so that residents (or the porter if there is one) can sort them out.

If the postal worker has a letter or package to be signed for, they will either knock on the door if it’s an apartment or, more frequently for house deliveries, blow a flute-like whistle (it has a distinctive sound). You will need to present some official form of ID to sign for documents. If no one can sign for the package, then a card will be left giving details of where you can pick up the item.

Note that foreign and Mexican driving licenses are generally not accepted as official ID now: you’ll need to show your passport, your FM3/FM2 visa or, if you have one, the IFE card (Mexican electoral register ID). It’s a good idea to take your passport and your visa if you are picking up an item from the local post sorting center, else you may have to make a return trip.

Sending and Receiving Faxes in Mexico

With the advent of global internet communications on computers and mobiles devices, faxing is becoming a thing of the past.

However, some things are still best (or required to be) sent by fax – especially copies of official documents, bank transfer requests, and other items that need to have a visible signature on them, for example. Some professions, especially lawyers, real estate agents and financial institutions are still making use of fax.

Papelerias are small stationery shops, and they often offer a fax bureau facility as part of their services. Also, look out for signs that read “Fax Publico” (Public Fax) at shops and kiosks. All major (and some smaller) hotels usually provide a fax service too, or will be able to direct you to a local store offering fax services.

The domain authority has since been promoting its new domain, and today positions it as the ‘premier’ extension for Mexico-related website addresses.

In addition to wooing the millions of Mexican businesses who’d be naturally inclined to register their trading names using the new Top Level Domain, the authority also advertised to the US business community, asserting that “.mx is the best way to talk to the Mexican Hispanic market in the USA.”

As .mx is much simpler than its predecessor .com.mx, you might have thought that it would have come to replace the longer version; however, today over decade after the launch of the snappier .mx domain, the longer com.mx remains widely seen and used for advertising campaigns in Mexico — and remarkably, even larger companies trading here have still not registered the .mx version of their .com.mx domain, or have registered it, but don’t use it.  The two domain extensions run in parallel and there is no plan to withdraw the longer com.mx.

One of the reasons why smaller enterprises in particular might not be taking-up the shorter .mx version is that it’s relatively expensive: 2-3 times the annual price of com.mx.

Mexperience.com, which is also accessible at Mexperience.com.mx, is additionally  accessible at Mexperience.mx: the latter two redirect to our principal .com domain.

For more information about internet services in Mexico, connect to our guide to Communications in Mexico.

Mexico’s telecommunications network is one of the most well developed and robust in all of Latin America. While telephone prices have been high for many years, laws passed in 2014 and enacted fully in in January 2015 have dramatically reduced the cost of telephone calls from residential land-lines, and since 2016, prices of calls from Mexican cell phones have also fallen dramatically.

Calls to Mexican mobile telephones from landlines as well international calls to the USA, Canada, and many other destinations world-wide are now free within the price of the monthly package on landlines, and modestly-priced cell phone plans enable you to enjoy unlimited free phone calls and generous data allowances across Mexico, the USA, and Canada from your cellphone when you’re in Mexico—and the plan extends when you’re roaming with your Mexican cell phone in the US and Canada, too.

If you’re living and working in Mexico and rely on internet communications for your day-to-day activities, you’ll find that, generally speaking, internet access from landlines and cell phones is good to excellent here.  Like all services, it’s subject to outages and occasional problems, but overall you’ll find the service to be reliable.  WiFi hot-spots are ubiquitous across Mexico now—you can find them in stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and even some local municipalities are offering free WiFi in town and city centers, so you’re never too far away from a connection when you need one.

The most frequent problem, especially in the rainy season (May-October) is power outages, which cause internet routers to stop working; the issue can be mitigated with a local solution—read When The Lights Go Out for details.

Mexico’s 4G LTE (cellular data) network is getting better with every passing month and it offers the ideal back-up solution if your land-based internet service goes down for a while: simply switch-on your smart phone’s ‘hot spot’ and you can connect your computer to a data network to send that urgent messages to friends, family or clients.

Our Guide to Communications in Mexico explains the range of services often used by people visiting and living in Mexico, and shares ideas about how to get the best deal on your telecoms when you’re here.

Several years ago, some of the bus lines began to offer high-speed internet access on-board via local WiFi signal inside the passenger cabin. However, of late, it’s far less common to see WiFi offered on buses.

WiFi internet access first appeared as as a service on some first-class and executive-class buses around 2008, and since then WiFi technologies as well as Mexico’s cellular data networks have evolved significantly.

Most bus companies appear to have withdrawn their WiFi services on-board, possibly because Mexico’s mobile data networks have become increasingly accessible and most customers now prefer to connect their devices directly to the mobile network.  For laptop users, it’s easy enough to connect the computer to the data network through a smartphone’s ‘hotspot’ feature.

Cellular data networks in Mexico are extensive and becoming increasingly reliable. 3G data is available almost everywhere there’s a phone signal, and 4G LTE is also becoming increasingly ubiquitous, especially in bigger towns and cities—and the country’s main intercity highways are, by-and-large, very well served by cellphone coverage.

If you have a smartphone with a Mexican SIM card, Mexico’s mobile phone companies offer remarkably good value cellular telephony packages which can be accessed on a ‘pay-as-you-go’ basis (no contract needed) and include generous data allowances.

When you’re visiting Mexico and using your smartphone from overseas, you’ll need to contact the phone company providing the service to ask what data plan (if any) is offered while you’re roaming in Mexico.

For details about how to access and get the most of telephony and data services here, connect to our comprehensive guide to Communications in Mexico.

You can learn how to get around using Mexico’s extensive bus network by reading our guide to bus travel in Mexico.

Mexico has quite a lot of newspapers, both national dailies and regional papers.  Free broadcast television is dominated by two companies – Televisa and TV Azteca – with small local broadcasters making little impression on the market. Pay TV and Internet services are ubiquitous services across the country and there is strong competition in the market for radio, especially in Mexico City.

Television in Mexico

Open broadcast television in Mexico is dominated by two companies – Televisa and TV Azteca, which operate the only national networks.

Televisa’s flagship channel is Channel 2, and it also runs channels 4, 5 and 9.

TV Azteca’s main channel is Channel 13, and it also runs Channel 7, and Channel 40 in Mexico City.

The main fare on Mexican television includes news, soap operas (Mexican soap operas are popular in many parts of the world), sports, game shows, reality shows, talk and gossip shows, as well as an abundance of U.S. programs (such as cartoons, sitcoms and dramas) dubbed into Spanish.

More cultural content (music, dance, theater, etc) is available on government-run Channel 11 and Channel 22. Their broadcast range is limited, although the channels are available on most pay-TV systems.

Despite a broad variety of programming on the free broadcast channels, most people who can afford it opt for some type of pay TV service. One of the reasons is the inordinate amount of time dedicated to advertising on free television.

See Also: Mexico Blog – Going to the Movies in Mexico

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Pay TV Services in Mexico

Cable TV in Mexico

The most common restricted TV service at present is cable. There are more than 4 million cable subscribers in the Mexico, and about 1.5 million satellite television subscribers. Usually there is only one cable TV operator in any given area, although there are several hundred small cable operators in the country, and a handful of large cable companies.

Sky Television in Mexico

Sky Mexico is the country’s only provider of satellite TV service. It recently launched a prepaid service where customers buy the equipment (for about US$200) and can then buy time as they need it, by the week or month.  This could be ideal service for you if you have a holiday home in Mexico or if you only visit a few times a year, perhaps on an ad-hoc basis.

Another, less expensive, option is MasTV, which offers restricted signals via airwaves in about a dozen cities.

TV-Related Services

The communications and media markets in Mexico are beginning to open up and major players and preparing to offer their customers a range of media and communication services with the convenience of one supplier and one bill.

For example, Mexican cable companies have been offering broadband Internet service for several years, and are now beginning to offer telephone services. Likewise, phone company Telmex is planning to start offering television services this year (it’s waiting for regulatory clearance), which will add another option for consumers to choose from.

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Radio in Mexico

Mexican radio offers a large variety of programming, from news, talk shows, rock and pop music in English and Spanish, regional Mexican music, classical music, etc.

As with television, the amount of time given to commercial breaks can be exasperating.

Radio Stations in Mexico

Stations and frequencies vary from region to region, but the biggest radio groups post their  programming and have live streaming on Internet. The principal commercial radio broadcasters in Mexico are:

• Radio Centro
• Radio Acir
• Radio Formula
• Televisa Radio

In addition, Radio Unam is run by the National Autonomous University, and features more cultural content than commercial radio.

See Blog: An Oasis on the Frequency Band

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Newspapers in Mexico

Circulation of Mexican newspapers is small compared to more developed countries, and most don’t make a lot of noise about their actual readership numbers.

See Blog: Mind Your Vocabulary

Among Mexico’s principal daily newspapers are:

Reforma, the sister publication of Monterrey’s El Norte, is published in Mexico City. With its launch in 1993, Reforma started a new era of independent newspapers, at one point using its own journalists to distribute the paper following a boycott by the distributors’ union in the capital. It remains one of the newspapers with the most credibility. Its Internet site currently requires a paid subscription for access.

El Universal, along with Reforma, is among the biggest distribution broadsheets. This paper has long been famous for its large classified advertising section, Aviso Oportuno, which is one of the first places people go when looking to rent property, buy a used car or find a job. Its Internet site offer free access to all sections and content.

La Jornada is Mexico’s leading left-wing newspaper. It has some of the country’s best political cartoonists, publishes more readers’ letters than most, and includes high quality coverage in its arts and provinces sections. It tends to be text-heavy for modern tastes, and rarely prints in color.

Milenio published a weekly news magazine before launching its daily newspaper some years ago. A sort of hybrid between a tabloid and broadsheet, with separate pull-out sports and entertainment sections. It’s easier to read than the broadsheets, but a little less serious.

El Financiero is the country’s oldest financial newspaper, with a focus on economic and business news. It has lost popularity over the years, particularly as other papers have beefed up their business coverage.

El Economista is a financial newspaper printed on pink paper. Like El Financiero, it focuses on business news, and is where most official and legal business announcements (about debt placements, share offers, etc) are published. Its readers are largely members of the business classes.

The News, the country’s English language paper, was re-launched in 2007, several years after being halted with the closure of its original parent paper Novedades. The News caters to visitors, expatriates and English-speaking Mexicans. It includes a variety of domestic and international news, business and sports. Notable is its extensive use of large color photographs. Distribution is primarily focused on Mexico City although the paper is becoming more widely available in tourist areas as well as cities popular with expatriates, for example, San Miguel de Allende.

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Magazines in Mexico

As in the case of newspapers, relatively few people in Mexico read magazines, although there are a number of interesting publications, from weekly news magazines to monthly fashion and other specialized publications.

Proceso is a weekly political magazine, mostly critical of the government. It dedicates a lot of space to drug trafficking and other contentious issues.

Vertigo, published weekly, provides a summary of the week’s news, but carries limited original content.

Milenio, the forerunner to the daily Milenio, offers weekly news and commentary.

Letras Libres contains commentary on politics and culture, with a wide range of subject matter.

Tiempo Libre is the place to find out what’s on in theater, cinema, concert, recitals, dance, museums, etc.

Mexico Desconocido is  Mexico’s answer to National Geographic, with features on a host of cultural and natural wonders in Mexico. It appears monthly.

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Access to The Internet in Mexico

Internet is readily available in most parts of Mexico, with about 5 million active Internet accounts in the country.

According to the telecommunications regulator, there were 22.8 million users in 2007, of whom 7.8 million use Internet at home, and 15 million either at work or public Internet access sites.

Mexico’s government operates an ‘open internet’ policy and, to date, has not censored (blocked) access to any internet sites or internet companies for political reasons.

Internet Service Providers in Mexico

The main Internet provider is Telmex, the country’s incumbent telephone company. Its high-speed (DSL) internet access is known as ‘Infinitum’; it also offers a dial-up service for very remote areas where DSL is currently unavailable.

Other phone companies – such as Axtel, and Maxcom also offer Internet connections, as do most cable companies via cable modem.

Also See: Guide to Communications in Mexico

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This means that when you attempt to use your email over a public WiFi connection in Mexico, you might find that you can receive messages (which arrive on Port 110), but any messages waiting to be sent from your outbox just stay there.

If you access your email using a web browser such as Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, or Hotmail  (instead of a mail program), you won’t be at all affected by this issue.

If you live in Mexico and use internet service at home, you can apply to have the block on Port 25 removed by contacting your internet service provider.

The “port 25 issue”, which became a nuisance for travelers a few years ago, has been mitigated substantially by the advent of more advanced email programs (especially on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets) which configure themselves automatically to send and receive email.

However, if you find that you are unable to send email from your computer (the messages stay in your outbox after clicking send & receive) when you arrive in Mexico, then you have two options:

1. If your email account is accessible via a web-page in addition to being accessible through an email program, you may use the web-browser access to send email.

2. The second option is to ask the company that hosts your email service to open an alternative Port on the mail server so that you can send email through that, instead.  For example, instead of Port 25, it could be Port 125 (or whatever).  Then, you simply go into the advanced settings of your email program, and replace “25” with whatever alternative number your email service provider gives you.

If you travel to Mexico on business and your email service is provided by your company, you may want to ask your company’s IT manager about providing an alternative Port number for your use if you find your can’t send messages from your connections in Mexico.

You can learn more about Internet, email, telephones, and communications generally on the Mexperience guide to Communications in Mexico, part of our Mexico Essentials section.