Keep Your Paws Off My Cell Signal

We can see the lights of Mexico across the lake from our Airstream windows – and it’s quite lovely at times. Not so lovely is that their telecom companies can overwhelm our AT&T 4G signal and make communicating a challenge. (To put it in non-barnyard language.)

There’s no decent wifi within 15 miles or so – and we rely on 4g for our iPhones and iPads and do ok, as long as we watch the data usage. I’m writing this on my iPhone with only a couple of bars and “AT&T LTE” showing. However, at any time, since we are about a mile from the border, my signal may go to TELCOM, the powerful Mexican system.

I’ve turned off “roaming” on all our devices to avoid international charges so when this rogue system takes over, my connection just dies.

My iPad is hijacked by a system called MOVISTAR so that’s been useless here at the campground.

Now we have been here before and know the drill but it’s still frustrating. We called the kids yesterday afternoon after driving five miles or so to get a decent signal. (Of course, that’s the distance I have to drive on Vermont to get coverage when our power goes out.) we have learned some tricks to get our electronic fixes. Libraries are great, coffee shops ( if there was one within 50 miles) and many fast food places are wired. I’ve found that some box stores have great wifi.

So, if you see this guy in Walmart or H.E.B. carrying his iPad, glancing at it surreptitiously from time to time, it’s only me using the wifi to download *Sports Illustrated* or *The New Yorker*, or TurboTax updates. As our son Rich quipped, “Download not quite done yet, time to cruise the baby food aisle again.”

I’d better finish this before TELCEL gets greedy. I’m down to one bar.