is there a trick to web-surfing on the go ?

[mkub3905]

(this is similar to a post i have concurrently running about eSim cards...)

Am I doing something wrong?
Is there a setup on my iPhone i ought to check / adjust?
Is there a work-around?

I find that i need to do a good amount of surfing (even if only to get directions) while I am on the street AND just as much surfing in the cafes / parks / street corners to figure out where i am trying to get to.

- Sometimes I have a connection (using whatever my Apple iPhone uses in the States - my carrier is Spectrum Mobile),
and then (more often than not...)
- I have NOTHING / apparently NO SERVICE.

Even with 4 bars of service and a full WiFi signal (or at least that is what the icons on the phone tell me) i can do NOTHING, my connection lags like molasses in the cold-cold winter and then nothing.
AUGH, can I say: "I am frustrated" !?

as always, with much appreciation in advance,
mark

 

[Ries]

Many US carriers (I know mine, Verizon, does this) contract with local carriers for roaming. Different local carriers have different coverage in different areas. I have Movistar as a second physical SIM in my phone, and outside of Buenos Aires, I have often had this same problem, using an Argentine SIM and an Argentine phone number. In Mar Del Plata for example, when I got within about 4 blocks of the beach, my service dropped out.
So, part of it is the vagary of local phone coverage, and whoever spectrum is using.
Part of it is spotty coverage due to big stone and concrete buildings.
Nobody's phone seems to work inside my local bank branch here- the first thing you do is sign on the the in branch wifi. This is also common- enter a restaurant, and suddenly, service is at a crawl.
dual sims is the best answer, but the most convenient I have found is, before you leave the USA, switch your ESIM to your US carrier, then buy a pay as you go physical SIM here. That works.

 

[FrankPintor]

Historically, Telecom Personal has been strongest in the north of Argentina (including Buenos Aires), while Movistar has been strongest in the south (as recently as 3-4 years ago, Personal users would roam on Movistar's network around Mar del Plata, for example). Claro arrived later, focused on the "interior", and based in Cordoba.

After many mergers, name-changes, and generations of technology, the situation now is that Personal and Claro have good nationwide coverage. Personal is fastest and has 5G, Claro is cheapest. Movistar's owner, Telefonica International, has stated its intention to divest its operations in Latin America (with few exceptions, like Vivo in Brazil). The name might remain, but the network will be managed by another operator - this is the case now in Mexico, and it's expected to happen also in Argentina. I wouldn't recommend subscribing to Movistar, or Tuenti, or any of its brand names, you are guaranteed second class service going forward.

Roaming onto local networks here is a bit of a lottery, you could get service on any of the roaming partners of your foreign network, not necessarily the "best" one for you.

You can get eSIMs from any of the local networks. It doesn't have to be a physical SIM.

And using your mobile phone in a bank will get the attention of the security personnel very quickly in any bank I've visited in Buenos Aires.

 

[Ries]

Historically, Telecom Personal has been strongest in the north of Argentina (including Buenos Aires), while Movistar has been strongest in the south (as recently as 3-4 years ago, Personal users would roam on Movistar's network around Mar del Plata, for example). Claro arrived later, focused on the "interior", and based in Cordoba.

After many mergers, name-changes, and generations of technology, the situation now is that Personal and Claro have good nationwide coverage. Personal is fastest and has 5G, Claro is cheapest. Movistar's owner, Telefonica International, has stated its intention to divest its operations in Latin America (with few exceptions, like Vivo in Brazil). The name might remain, but the network will be managed by another operator - this is the case now in Mexico, and it's expected to happen also in Argentina. I wouldn't recommend subscribing to Movistar, or Tuenti, or any of its brand names, you are guaranteed second class service going forward.

Roaming onto local networks here is a bit of a lottery, you could get service on any of the roaming partners of your foreign network, not necessarily the "best" one for you.

You can get eSIMs from any of the local networks. It doesn't have to be a physical SIM.

And using your mobile phone in a bank will get the attention of the security personnel very quickly in any bank I've visited in Buenos Aires.

Totally depends on the bank. True, in government banks, like Banco Nacion.
On the other hand, in my local branch of Banco Galicia, you have to use a token you get by cell phone to perform many options at the bank machines, and the internal bank services require cell phone procedures quite often, so, virtually every time I have sat with a bank employee inside the bank, they tell me, Ok, now, do this on your cell phone. Pretty much everybody inside the bank, sitting and waiting for a turno, is on their phone while waiting, too.

Its certainly not a law, its just bank procedure that varies from bank to bank.

 

[FrankPintor]

Totally depends on the bank. True, in government banks, like Banco Nacion.
On the other hand, in my local branch of Banco Galicia, you have to use a token you get by cell phone to perform many options at the bank machines, and the internal bank services require cell phone procedures quite often, so, virtually every time I have sat with a bank employee inside the bank, they tell me, Ok, now, do this on your cell phone. Pretty much everybody inside the bank, sitting and waiting for a turno, is on their phone while waiting, too.

Its certainly not a law, its just bank procedure that varies from bank to bank.

Interesting, it's not allowed in ICBC or Itau / BMA, and if I remember correctly, also not in Santander. I thought the "no mobile" signs referenced a BCRA regulation, or a federal law, I'll check next time.

 

[SinPulgas]

Its certainly not a law, its just bank procedure that varies from bank to bank.

It certainly is a law. It has been since 2011. Since 2019 you can use them, but only in limited circumstances.
A partir de ahora vas a poder usar el celular en los bancos, pero sólo en estos casos

 

[Ries]

the limited circumstances being pretty much every interaction with bank staff to do anything to do with your account. The current Banco Galica app, for example will only let you do a very wide range of things with your cell phone. So every time staff help customers the cell phone of the customer is essential. I have found the Provincia, Ciudad, and Nacional Banks to enforce this law strictly, but, again, some commercial banks current software, including that of Galicia, simply does not function without the customers cell phone being used.
And, again, withdrawals over something like 25,000 pesos dont work without the cellphone being used to generate a one time token.
I think post pandemia, a lot of things have practically changed, even if the laws have not been.
The main fear which caused the law was accomplices inside banks notifiying street criminals of who is leaving with cash.

 

[SinPulgas]

Pretty much everybody inside the bank, sitting and waiting for a turno, is on their phone while waiting, too.

It means not this. ^

Really, you don't have to be right about everything. It's ok to be wrong once in a while. FFS.

 

[Ries]

You are right, and I am wrong. There is a law.

 

[SinPulgas]

You are right, and I am wrong. There is a law.

I do like your posts, by the way.