MetroPCS intros $3 unlimited calling to Mexico, plenty of strings attached

Regardless of the caveats, $3 a month is a microscopic penance to pay for the ability to call Mexico ad nauseam, but buyers just need to be careful that it's going to meet their needs before taking the plunge. The newly-introduced feature on value carrier MetroPCS advertising "unlimited calls to Mexico," but as the asterisk up there implies, there's a catch: the unlimited calling is only to Mexican landlines -- not cellphones -- and only those landlines in a list of 200-odd cities. You also get unlimited texting to handsets on America Movil, Movistar, Iusacell, and Nextel Mexico, which is a nice bonus -- but why texting and no calling?

[Via MobileBurn]

[IceTheGreat Posted Apr 23rd 2009 2:28PM]

*fires guns in the air* arrrriiiibbbaa andele andele!

[CeluGeek Posted Apr 23rd 2009 2:56PM]

América Móvil is Telcel's parent company so someone in MetroPCS got that messed up. It's as if some carrier advertised free texting to Sprint, Verizon AT&T and Deutsche Telekom cellphones.

[Chris Posted Apr 23rd 2009 3:12PM]

Updated the post -- interesting that MetroPCS identifies them not as Telcel but as America Movil. I would imagine that'll confuse some subscribers.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 23rd 2009 3:04PM]

America Movil is Telcel, smart one.

[dodgerfan Posted Apr 23rd 2009 3:24PM]

Hopefully the big 4 follow suit with something similar. Now if only Metro would offer a plan like this for Canada too!

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 23rd 2009 3:55PM]

I'm not surprised that mobiles are excluded. Calling a mobile in Mexico is very expensive. Even if you're calling a local mobile from a local landline, it's still a toll call, and about 2 or 3 pesos a minute

Even in Mexico, virtually the only time it's free/cheap to call a mobile is if you're calling someone on your own carrier. For instance, when I was living there this summer, it was about $3.50MXN/minute (about $0.25USD/min to call from my Movistar phone to someone on Telcel.

[psyvicpeng Posted Apr 23rd 2009 4:29PM]

Mexico is like the rest of the world...caller pays.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 23rd 2009 5:42PM]

Wow...2 years ago I switched from Tmobile to Sprint cuz they raised my rates for calls to Mexico. Now I would switch to Metro...but only if they get the Pre...I know, so I guess I'll stay with Sprint and my $.05 per min to Mexico

[periks19 Posted Apr 23rd 2009 6:25PM]

Not to mention you get to call select border cities (Ciudad Juárez, Tijuana, Mexicali, Rosarito, Tecate, Ensenada, Agua Prieta, Nogales, Naco, Sonorita, Altar, San Luis Río Colorado, Las Palomas, Ojinaga, Ciudad Acuña, Piedras Negras, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, and Matamoros)

But it will be landlines only and you will only get deducted regular minutes unless its nights and weekends which will be free. Is still the best deal of the top 3 carriers.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 27th 2009 5:26PM]

It is a great move event thought, may be only land lines. It is good still for only 3 bucks at month.