Now, let me answer your questions:

TV Options include a local Cable channel which has only limited English programing and serves a limited area mostly East and West along the highway that connects Chapala and Jocotepec. They also provide High speed coverage of 100mg or perhaps more. You have to subscribe to the TV service to get the Internet service. Prices are competitive.

Tel Mex has the best up time rating and has speeds up to 200 mb advertised. They bundle their telephone service with various levels of Internet service. The least expensive bundle is 389 pesos a month for 1 mb, 100 local calls, 100 long distance calls in Mexico. At 11.5 to 1 this computes to $33.82 USD per month.

I have the highest non commercial package they offer unlimited telephone calls local and long distance in Mexico and an advertised speed of 2 mb for 999 pesos or $86.86 USD per month.

TV satellite coverage is available from Sky, Dish ( I assume they’re affiliated with Dish in North America) and StarChoice.

The system with the most (all English perhaps with some French programing) is StarChoice out of Canada which provides all three main USA networks and Fox.

The prices are all competitive with USA prices and there are a maze of options and packages.

Not sure about the term of the service but as far as I know you can start and stop at will.

I think you would do just as well to have the Dish folks here install a system for you. The communication between Dish there and Dish here would just an extra link. You could put “Dish Satellite in Mexico” in Google search and see what you find out.

Finally, full time or part time life here is Great. I’ve done it both ways, but became a full timer as soon as I could.

All for now. Thanks for the kind words Gloria Siempre tu amigo, Sid

Yes, you can purchase Movie Star and other carrier cell phones here.

Two basic types. On type are the ones where you open an account, choose a phone, choose a plan, and pay a monthly bill according to your plan. These plans cost you less per minute, but if use is not frequent can cost more on a monthly basis.

The Second type. You purchase the phone (About $40 USD and then you buy specific amounts of credit. You can usually buy time in $8 USD increments. You buy a card which once you scratch off the black coating reveals a code number which is then encoded into your cell phone (the clerk will do it for you) and your talking.

Most of the international plans from US carriers are extremely expensive so unless you’ll be doing a lot of cell phone calls to the USA or around the world it’s probably best for occasional use to just use your Mexican cell phone if you need the portability of a cell.

Voice over internet telephones are the best international call solution. (Vonage, Skype, Magic Jack etc.)

Hope this helps. Good question. Siempre tu amigo, Sid

Pretty sure we have decided to come down (after we sell our home) for an indefinite stay.

My question is: Cell Phones Here in DFW we use Sprint without International service. Can we purchase cell phones in Lake Chapala with the Movie Star service?

Also…did you ever find anyone who has the Laredo to Chapala driving directions in a word doc?

Gracias amigo.
Jan

I pay about 600 pesos or at today’s exchange rate just over $46 USD for 3 meg from Megacable.

I have a package with Tel Mex at my home where I get 1000 minutes of long distance in Mexico and local telephone service and 1 meg of high speed internet for about the same cost $46.

Tel Mex claims 99% uptime. Megacable is said to have 90 % but improving.

Now here’s a quote from my local computer/internet guru Benno from a post he made on another web board.

“Lagunanet will give you the best best bang for the buck. The upfront cost is only worth it if you are planning on using their service for at least 3 years.

Telmex would be next in line beacause their service is pretty reliable, and there are probably no big upfront payments to make. The downside of Telmex is that they have to have to have an available “slot” for you to hook up to, and their internet won’t reach you until about 3-4 business days after you pay for the hook up.

Telecable is very fast, but their customer service is appalling. The modems they use to get you your internet also have a tendency to overheat and crash causing you to loose your internet until it cools down.

If you depend on the internet for your business I would suggest that you subscribe to any 2 of these ISPs and get yourself a dual WAN router for reliability. http://cgi.ebay.com/Edimax-BR-6524K-Dual-W…p3286.m20.l1116”

This young man knows his stuff. I hope this helps. Siempre tu amigo, Sid