View Full Version : kindness of strangers and ignorance of writers


Adam Corolla
12-18-2007, 07:16 PM
"Martin Phipps" <martinphipps2@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c943bade-86b5-439d-96d0-1f66d464ad4e@s19g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
> On Dec 16, 8:18 am, richard <s...@google.dom> wrote:
>> On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:41:13 -0800 (PST), Martin Phipps
>>
>> <martinphip...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> >On Dec 15, 3:58 am, richard <s...@google.dom> wrote:
>> >> On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 05:18:35 -0800 (PST), Martin Phipps
>>
>> >And when was the last time you were in Mexico, hmm?
>>
>> >For the record, it depends on the provider. You bring a cell phone to
>> >Mexico from the US and maybe you won't get service but I guarantee
>> >that any cell phone you buy in Mexico will get service in all but the
>> >most remote region. Not everybody in Mexico is living in a grass hut,
>> >you know. There's bound to be Mexicans who use cell phones for
>> >emergencies, for work, for calling family and friends, etc. just like
>> >people in the US.
>>
>> >Martin
>>
>> Well sir, according to various information freely available on the
>> web, US service providers, most all of them, are saying that cell
>> service is available only in major metropolitan areas like MC, cancun,
>> and a few other resort areas.
>>
>> I hardly think that many average mexicans can even afford to pay for
>> the phones. So usage would primarily be by tourists.
>
> Did you think I wouldn't call you on this? I just did a google search
> for "Mexican cell phone service" and the first source said this:
>
> "[T]here is one dominant cellular company in Mexico that services the
> entire country. With no real competition to speak of, local users
> don't have much choice of who to chose as their provider, which means
> that if they need a cell phone, they will pay the rates that that
> provider is asking. Luckily, cellular coverage has improved
> significantly and is continuing to do so.
>
> "Telcel, the largest Mexican cell phone provider, has quickly been
> able to upgrade its network to the GSM system and is continuing to
> extend its coverage to even rural areas. Still, since there is not
> much competition from other providers in Mexico, prices remain fairly
> steep. Regardless of the high expense, many Mexicans still do carry
> cell phones. This is partially due to the fact that all it can be less
> expensive than land line fees, as well as because in some areas there
> is no landline infrastructure and thirdly, it has become a necessity
> as well as a status symbol."
>
> In order words, exactly what I said and the opposite of what you
> said.

Not exactly. The article you quoted doesn't say how much coverage there
actually is, it just makes some really vague statements about increasing
coverage. I'm not saying you're wrong, as I have no idea what the coverage
there is, but that article isn't the one you need if you want something to
back you up.

Martin Phipps
12-18-2007, 07:52 PM
On Dec 19, 8:16 am, "Adam Corolla" <nos...@nospam03550265902.com>
wrote:
> "Martin Phipps" <martinphip...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> news:c943bade-86b5-439d-96d0-1f66d464ad4e@s19g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Dec 16, 8:18 am, richard <s...@google.dom> wrote:
> >> On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:41:13 -0800 (PST), Martin Phipps
>
> >> <martinphip...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >> >On Dec 15, 3:58 am, richard <s...@google.dom> wrote:
> >> >> On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 05:18:35 -0800 (PST), Martin Phipps
>
> >> >And when was the last time you were in Mexico, hmm?
>
> >> >For the record, it depends on the provider. You bring a cell phone to
> >> >Mexico from the US and maybe you won't get service but I guarantee
> >> >that any cell phone you buy in Mexico will get service in all but the
> >> >most remote region. Not everybody in Mexico is living in a grass hut,
> >> >you know. There's bound to be Mexicans who use cell phones for
> >> >emergencies, for work, for calling family and friends, etc. just like
> >> >people in the US.
>
> >> >Martin
>
> >> Well sir, according to various information freely available on the
> >> web, US service providers, most all of them, are saying that cell
> >> service is available only in major metropolitan areas like MC, cancun,
> >> and a few other resort areas.
>
> >> I hardly think that many average mexicans can even afford to pay for
> >> the phones. So usage would primarily be by tourists.
>
> > Did you think I wouldn't call you on this? I just did a google search
> > for "Mexican cell phone service" and the first source said this:
>
> > "[T]here is one dominant cellular company in Mexico that services the
> > entire country. With no real competition to speak of, local users
> > don't have much choice of who to chose as their provider, which means
> > that if they need a cell phone, they will pay the rates that that
> > provider is asking. Luckily, cellular coverage has improved
> > significantly and is continuing to do so.
>
> > "Telcel, the largest Mexican cell phone provider, has quickly been
> > able to upgrade its network to the GSM system and is continuing to
> > extend its coverage to even rural areas. Still, since there is not
> > much competition from other providers in Mexico, prices remain fairly
> > steep. Regardless of the high expense, many Mexicans still do carry
> > cell phones. This is partially due to the fact that all it can be less
> > expensive than land line fees, as well as because in some areas there
> > is no landline infrastructure and thirdly, it has become a necessity
> > as well as a status symbol."
>
> > In order words, exactly what I said and the opposite of what you
> > said.
>
> Not exactly. The article you quoted doesn't say how much coverage there
> actually is, it just makes some really vague statements about increasing
> coverage. I'm not saying you're wrong, as I have no idea what the coverage
> there is, but that article isn't the one you need if you want something to
> back you up.

Telcel "services the entire country" including "rural areas".

Martin

Adam Corolla
12-19-2007, 04:30 PM
"Martin Phipps" <martinphipps2@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9771bab0-8b5a-44bb-ab14-4fc1f245ea7b@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> On Dec 19, 8:16 am, "Adam Corolla" <nos...@nospam03550265902.com>
> wrote:
>> "Martin Phipps" <martinphip...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>
>> news:c943bade-86b5-439d-96d0-1f66d464ad4e@s19g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > On Dec 16, 8:18 am, richard <s...@google.dom> wrote:
>> >> On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:41:13 -0800 (PST), Martin Phipps
>>
>> >> <martinphip...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> >> >On Dec 15, 3:58 am, richard <s...@google.dom> wrote:
>> >> >> On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 05:18:35 -0800 (PST), Martin Phipps
>>
>> >> >And when was the last time you were in Mexico, hmm?
>>
>> >> >For the record, it depends on the provider. You bring a cell phone
>> >> >to
>> >> >Mexico from the US and maybe you won't get service but I guarantee
>> >> >that any cell phone you buy in Mexico will get service in all but the
>> >> >most remote region. Not everybody in Mexico is living in a grass
>> >> >hut,
>> >> >you know. There's bound to be Mexicans who use cell phones for
>> >> >emergencies, for work, for calling family and friends, etc. just like
>> >> >people in the US.
>>
>> >> >Martin
>>
>> >> Well sir, according to various information freely available on the
>> >> web, US service providers, most all of them, are saying that cell
>> >> service is available only in major metropolitan areas like MC, cancun,
>> >> and a few other resort areas.
>>
>> >> I hardly think that many average mexicans can even afford to pay for
>> >> the phones. So usage would primarily be by tourists.
>>
>> > Did you think I wouldn't call you on this? I just did a google search
>> > for "Mexican cell phone service" and the first source said this:
>>
>> > "[T]here is one dominant cellular company in Mexico that services the
>> > entire country. With no real competition to speak of, local users
>> > don't have much choice of who to chose as their provider, which means
>> > that if they need a cell phone, they will pay the rates that that
>> > provider is asking. Luckily, cellular coverage has improved
>> > significantly and is continuing to do so.
>>
>> > "Telcel, the largest Mexican cell phone provider, has quickly been
>> > able to upgrade its network to the GSM system and is continuing to
>> > extend its coverage to even rural areas. Still, since there is not
>> > much competition from other providers in Mexico, prices remain fairly
>> > steep. Regardless of the high expense, many Mexicans still do carry
>> > cell phones. This is partially due to the fact that all it can be less
>> > expensive than land line fees, as well as because in some areas there
>> > is no landline infrastructure and thirdly, it has become a necessity
>> > as well as a status symbol."
>>
>> > In order words, exactly what I said and the opposite of what you
>> > said.
>>
>> Not exactly. The article you quoted doesn't say how much coverage there
>> actually is, it just makes some really vague statements about increasing
>> coverage. I'm not saying you're wrong, as I have no idea what the
>> coverage
>> there is, but that article isn't the one you need if you want something
>> to
>> back you up.
>
> Telcel "services the entire country" including "rural areas".

The article says, "Luckily, cellular coverage has improved significantly and
is continuing to do so." The article also says, "Telcel, the largest
Mexican cell phone provider... is continuing to extend its coverage to even
rural areas."
If they already serve the entire country including rural areas, how is
coverage improving or extending? The only reasonable explanation is that
some rural areas are covered but not all. How much, exactly, is "some"?
One percent? Ninety-nine percent? The article gives no clue. Nor does it
say what is considered a "Rural area." A suburb could be considered a rural
area. In addition, the statement "continuing to extend its coverage even to
rural areas" makes it sound like it's expanding coverage in metro areas, and
recently has even started covering some rural areas. But again, the article
gives nothing that backs you up.