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-   -   International costs (T Mobile) (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=221665)

milo 03-11-2010 11:25 AM

International costs (T Mobile)
 
My daughter will be leaving for a 12-week junior year college term in Paris at the end of March. Her T-Mobile 8820 is basically attached to her hand at all times. I am very concerned about controlling the cost of her using her device in Europe. (We are based in New York). Two weeks in Greece and Turkey this summer left me with a $600+ data bill.
My daughter uses the BB more for email and BBM, and browsing, and much less for texts and phone.
I was hoping I could get some suggestions about how to minimize expenses. Is a replacement European SIM card a good idea? Or should she just get a disposable cell phone in France for voice and stick with T Mobile for messages. I understand that T Mobile has an add-on plan for $20/month that would give unlimited BB and BBM in Europe, but I don't think it includes browsing.
Thanks in advance for any advice that will help me avoid bankruptcy!

nancywt 03-11-2010 12:33 PM

All I can tell you is be very careful. My daughter set up for 4 day trip to Canada to use her blackberry and tmobile charged her $500 for internet access that she did not use or initiate. the company appears to be really ripping people off. another daughter took her iphone to europe but disabled the phone and just downloaded an app that allowed her to use skype from her phone for free whenever she had wifi available..also skype will work from her computer if she is hooked up to the internet. For $3 per month you can get a fixed number that has voice mail etc. Or a magic jack that plugs into the computer works if you are online. Skype requires less equip though. That was very successful. good luck!

madmachinist 03-12-2010 01:00 AM

One thing that may help you both is that you can connect to Tmo's network with any Tmo wifi enabled handset through a wifi router that is connected to the internet. The benefit for people traveling internationally is that if you can find a wifi internet connection, you can connect to the tmobile network, and the tmobile billing system handles your call as if you were connecting thru the T-mobile network in the US. you can use all the services you would normally use, without being charged special international rates. T-mobile currently calls this feature T-Mobile @Home. I'm not sure if I'm able to post links, but I will try. if you have to google it to find out more, be aware that tmobile offers 2 services called tmobile @home, one is the service that we are discussing, the other is a device that connects a home phone to tmobiles wireless (gsm) network, its basically a cell phone with a phone jack (rj11) connector on the side.

madmachinist 03-12-2010 01:01 AM

the link is for the correct service that may be of interest to the both of you T-Mobile @Home - General Information

madmachinist 03-12-2010 01:04 AM

the important bits on that page are:
Will I have all the phone services like MMS, SMS, and voicemail with T-Mobile @Home service?
T-Mobile @Home features include nationwide long distance, call waiting, caller ID, 3-way conferencing, voicemail, and call forwarding. CallerTunes® and discounted calling to Canada or Mexico are available as an add-on service for home phone usage.


How is data charged with T-Mobile HotSpot @Home?
All charges for data services such as text messages, picture messages, Web browsing, downloads, and ringtones are the same while using Wi-Fi as they are on the T-Mobile GSM network. In addition, all services available through GPRS are also available through Wi-Fi, including:

* Picture messaging
* t-zones and Web browsing
* Content downloads
* BlackBerry® services

madmachinist 03-12-2010 01:13 AM

wether tmo purposely designed the tmobile @home service to function as an alternate method of international connectivity is unknown to me. a few years ago tmo didnt guarantee functionality of the hotspot@home (thats what it was called a few years ago) service while traveling internationally, mainly because the server that patches your connection from the internet into tmo's network is located in the US, so if your connecting from overseas latency becomes a significant issue. you should call tmo to find out all the details of the service. things may have changed since I last worked with the service. also just incase they don't tell you, it would be a good idea for your daughters to disable their gsm connection while they are using hotspot at home to ensure that they dont accidently connect to an international carriers network and wrack up huge bills. even if they can't use hotspot at home all the time, it can be used to cover the bulk of their non essential communication.

dc/dc 03-12-2010 02:53 AM

Here's what you need to do:

Get the add-on. On her device, go into Options and disable TCP access. That way, her device will only use the blackberry.net APN, and the access will thus be free. If you are charged additional, call T-Mobile, explain that TCP is disabled on the device, and they will remove the charges.

Basically any application written by RIM will go over the blackberry.net APN, so there is no need for the either epc.tmobile.com or wap.t-zones.com to be enabled. I use e-mail, BBM, browsing and Facebook with no additional charges.

Trimix 03-12-2010 12:25 PM

Wirelessly posted (L'neuf trois)

dc/dc, by disabling APN do you mean just leaving the APN field blank? Didn't see an option to "disable."

milo 03-12-2010 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dc/dc (Post 1578495)
Here's what you need to do:

Get the add-on. On her device, go into Options and disable TCP access. That way, her device will only use the blackberry.net APN, and the access will thus be free. If you are charged additional, call T-Mobile, explain that TCP is disabled on the device, and they will remove the charges.

Basically any application written by RIM will go over the blackberry.net APN, so there is no need for the either epc.tmobile.com or wap.t-zones.com to be enabled. I use e-mail, BBM, browsing and Facebook with no additional charges.

Thanks so much dc/dc and everyone else. One question: what do you mean by get the "add on"? Are you referring to the T-Mobile@home service?

aiharkness 03-12-2010 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trimix (Post 1578703)
Wirelessly posted (L'neuf trois)

dc/dc, by disabling APN do you mean just leaving the APN field blank? Didn't see an option to "disable."

You now have to check a box to enable, as well as enter the apn.

I don't know what OS made that change. It was the way you know it on 4.5.

aiharkness 03-12-2010 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milo (Post 1578794)
Thanks so much dc/dc and everyone else. One question: what do you mean by get the "add on"? Are you referring to the T-Mobile@home service?

He is replying to you. He is using your words, referring to the "add on" that you mention.

milo 03-12-2010 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aiharkness (Post 1578815)
He is replying to you. He is using your words, referring to the "add on" that you mention.

Thanks, Ira. You are indeed a genius and I am a bit of a dope!

Trimix 03-13-2010 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aiharkness (Post 1578805)
You now have to check a box to enable, as well as enter the apn.

I don't know what OS made that change. It was the way you know it on 4.5.

Haha that might explain it. I'm still on 4.2 :oops:

aiharkness 03-13-2010 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trimix (Post 1579015)
Haha that might explain it. I'm still on 4.2 :oops:

I'm supposing the point is now you can disable the TCP/IP by just unchecking, leaving the apn information entered. That way you can turn it on again with a check instead of having to enter the information again.

dc/dc 03-13-2010 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aiharkness (Post 1579075)
I'm supposing the point is now you can disable the TCP/IP by just unchecking, leaving the apn information entered. That way you can turn it on again with a check instead of having to enter the information again.

Correct, but I usually delete it too just to be sure.

linglingfool 05-10-2010 11:47 AM

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but I'm getting ready for a trip in a couple weeks, and I was messing around with the APN settings on my 9700 as specified by dc/dc to see if I could get my phone set up correctly. I've disabled the APN in the TCP settings menu, but even after saving the changes, I'm still able to browse/use non-RIM apps without a problem while connected only to the mobile network (no wifi).

Is this because I'm still in the states? I would think it would have the same effect no matter where I am, but I can still browse and use Pandora, and would like to figure out a sure-fire way to disable data before I leave.

dc/dc 05-10-2010 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linglingfool (Post 1605074)
Sorry to drag up an old thread, but I'm getting ready for a trip in a couple weeks, and I was messing around with the APN settings on my 9700 as specified by dc/dc to see if I could get my phone set up correctly. I've disabled the APN in the TCP settings menu, but even after saving the changes, I'm still able to browse/use non-RIM apps without a problem while connected only to the mobile network (no wifi).

Is this because I'm still in the states? I would think it would have the same effect no matter where I am, but I can still browse and use Pandora, and would like to figure out a sure-fire way to disable data before I leave.

You are good to go. If any apps work now, they are using the blackberry.net APN, and therefore you would not be charged.

xavieritzmann 05-28-2010 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dc/dc (Post 1605313)
You are good to go. If any apps work now, they are using the blackberry.net APN, and therefore you would not be charged.

Hi, dc/dc:

I've read your posts with much interest. I have deleted the

TCP/IP
[YES] APN Settings Enabled
APN: epc.tmobile.com

in one of my two new phones. I have then proceeded to navigate from the "Browser" application as well as the "web2go" application from both the "fixed" phone and the "out-of-the-box" phone.

The issue is that both phones seem to be getting their data from

68.171.xxx.xxx
Proxy Detected pmds342.bisb1.blackberry:3128

Which resolves to a RIM address.

The issue then is the unmodified phone apparently would get the same unlimited data as the phone with the APN deleted. This makes me question whether this is going to work...

Or maybe I am misunderstanding something?

I am travelling internationally next week but can't afford to receive the first bill because by then the 30 day cooling off period will have expired and I really don't want to see thousand-plus phone bills each month due to data usage. If I have to walk away from T-Mo b/c they don't offer international data packages, I need to do it before the 2 yr contract becomes in full force. I got the phones yesterday.

Thanks in advance

dc/dc 05-28-2010 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xavieritzmann (Post 1611972)
Hi, dc/dc:

I've read your posts with much interest. I have deleted the

TCP/IP
[YES] APN Settings Enabled
APN: epc.tmobile.com

in one of my two new phones. I have then proceeded to navigate from the "Browser" application as well as the "web2go" application from both the "fixed" phone and the "out-of-the-box" phone.

The issue is that both phones seem to be getting their data from

68.171.xxx.xxx
Proxy Detected pmds342.bisb1.blackberry:3128

Which resolves to a RIM address.

The issue then is the unmodified phone apparently would get the same unlimited data as the phone with the APN deleted. This makes me question whether this is going to work...

Or maybe I am misunderstanding something?

I am travelling internationally next week but can't afford to receive the first bill because by then the 30 day cooling off period will have expired and I really don't want to see thousand-plus phone bills each month due to data usage. If I have to walk away from T-Mo b/c they don't offer international data packages, I need to do it before the 2 yr contract becomes in full force. I got the phones yesterday.

Thanks in advance

There are some apps that can only use the WAP APN, and almost all apps will resort to the WAP APN in the event that they are unable to reach the RIM network. By deleting the settings, you are preventing the phone from ever using any APN except for the RIM one, which is the one that does not incur extra charges when you have the unlimited international BlackBerry plan added. If you don't have this add-on, any data you use will incur charges.

xavieritzmann 05-28-2010 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dc/dc (Post 1611993)
By deleting the settings, you are preventing the phone from ever using any APN except for the RIM one


Correct. Makes sense! Yes, I have the BlackBerry Unlimited International E-mail.

Nonetheless, I've gone across several forums where the issue of international data roaming keeps coming up and it seems to be a pretty wide phenomenon that people get thousands of USD in unexpected charges, with no widely known solution other than just turning off the entire wireless network data portion... but then that kills e-mail access too and leaves people incommunicado.

It would seem that such a simple solution as the one of killing the APN would be by now widely published across the forums. But it's not. Strange, uh?

Regards, (y)


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