Last modified 10/05/2023

Cell phone service in Mexico: which is the best provider? :

Mexico is among the Latin American countries that have stepped forward in mobile technology in the last decade. Cell phone service has also grown, and is now available in Mexico’s nine regions. Four cell phone service providers dominate in the country: Telcel, Iusacell, Movistar and Nextel.

In the following paragraphs we will describe their services and price lists.
Telcel: It is affiliated to Mexico’s most important telecommunications company, América Móvil. Telcel started operating in Mexico City, but now covers the entire Mexican territory. It is considered to be the best cell phone service provider in Mexico and has over 58 million users.

It provides services to companies and individuals: private network, home and business messaging, wireless internet, GPS service, etc. This company is well accepted in Mexico due to its diverse and customized price list. Telcel allows its users to set up their own price lists, according to the minutes and text messaging they are willing to use and pay monthly.

Movistar: It began operating in the north part of Mexico in 2001, after taking over the four cell phone service providers there (Cedetel, Bajacel, Norcel and Movitel). Now, it is everywhere in the country and has over 20 million users. Movistar is considered the second best cell phone service provider in Mexico.

Its services include phone calls, text and voice messaging, Internet and entertainment. Its two main price lists are: pre-paid and post-paid (Pagamenos, Total, Único, Movitalk Plan, etc.). Their newest cell phones are iPhone4 and Blackberry.

Iusacell: It is the third largest cell phone service provider in Mexico. It started operating in Mexico City and then expanded to other regions in the country. Its services include phone calls, text messaging, multimedia messaging, email, digital television and wireless internet. This company was the first in Mexico to offer cell phones with 3G signal. Their newest cell phones include MiFi, or the first intelligent mobile HotSpot, a WiFi connection set that uses Iusatell’s 3G technology.

Nextel: It is among the oldest cell phone service providers in Mexico. It started in 1998 and is now one of the most distinguished wireless service providers in Mexico. Its largest group of users are businesses, as it is the only provider that offers radio service. Its price lists include: Control Plus and Planes con Todo. Additionally, the first Nextel smarthphone with touchscreen stands out among its newest cell phones.

In conclusion, there are four main cell phone service providers in Mexico. All of them are proper competitors, and the one that provides the best price list and coverage stands out. So, Telcel (América Móvil) is the most preferred provider in Mexico because it has the lowest prices in the country.