[shabazz5th]

Hey guys,

I'm travelling overseas really soon and I am hoping to bring my BB with me.

Problem is, phone calls are $4/min and browsing and receiving emails on my blackberry would cost me a FORTUNE.

Are there ways around this? Should I unlock my cell and purcahse a SIM card there? Is there some sort of international data/voice plan (I'm with Rogers btw).

Anyone with any tips? Is WiFi the best option for email?

Thanks,

[whsbuss]

Wifi is an option providing the wifi hotspot permits port 443 traffic to connect to the BB network.

[buluks]

you can disable "data" from blackberry and use wifi but still can use phone.
manage connection > mobile network option > data service on/off.

[Quincar]

you could just unlock your phone and then just buy a sim card in the counrty your travling too.

[monkeypaw]

If you go the local sim card route, try to find the APNs for the local provider(s) and download Opera Mini before you leave. That's likely the only way you'll get internet service. There are exceptions.

The international SIMs seem to be almost as expensive as roaming so they'd only make sense if the place you're going has expensive local service or no pre-paid service. Well they have the added advantage versus roaming of no one knowing the number.

Also be aware of Smart Dialing. You'll want to set the country code to wherever your sim is from. Phone key > Options > Smart Dialing > Country Code

[shabazz5th]

thanks for all your suggestions guys.

I think I will go the unlock route and just buy a sim there.

A sim over there is 50 bucks for about an hour of talk time :(...but it's unlimited talk/text incoming...so I guess that's good :S.

Thanks!

[stufried]

Strange, on ATT you can buy an international on data unlimited Blackberry International Plan. Rogers doesn't have something similar. Long ago I decided to split my e-mail device and my phone when I was outside of my home countries.

[ErnieH]

I use a separate unlocked phone (Pearl 8100) and local SIM when I travel and need to use voice. I leave my Bold data on, don't use the browser, and typically spend only about $10/week for email while roaming internationally.

[Jumpin_Joe]

Originally Posted by stufried

Long ago I decided to split my e-mail device and my phone when I was outside of my home countries.

Ditto. I have an unlocked GSM phone for voice and bring the BB with for data.

In order to save on roaming costs when people call me and the call transfers to voice mail, I forward all calls to voicemail before I leave my home country (USA). That way the phone never even rings while overseas.

I also use a voicemail transcription service so that I'll get an email with the transcription of what the caller said. Here's a URL.

PLEASE NOTE: I have no ties to this company. I am just a customer. There is NO affiliate URL, discounts for me for people signing up (although I could have posted it). I just love the service!

[stufried]

Originally Posted by Jumpin_Joe

Ditto. I have an unlocked GSM phone for voice and bring the BB with for data.

In order to save on roaming costs when people call me and the call transfers to voice mail, I forward all calls to voicemail before I leave my home country (USA). That way the phone never even rings while overseas.

I also use a voicemail transcription service so that I'll get an email with the transcription of what the caller said. Here's a URL.

PLEASE NOTE: I have no ties to this company. I am just a customer. There is NO affiliate URL, discounts for me for people signing up (although I could have posted it). I just love the service!

When I am seriously out of sync with home country (e.g. in Dubai and 9 hours ahead of EST), I use the e-mail trick. Another trick is to sign up for a cheap VOIP phone number. For Yanks, look at the voicestick's next to nothing plan which can also forward numbers abroad. For Canadians look at VBuzzer.com and then forward the call to my mobile. My wife is working in Trinidad for 3 weeks which is only hour different from us. She forwarded her phone to the Voicestick number (with voicemail on a message recorded) and then bought a SIM at the airport and texted me the number. I forwarded it to her Trinidad mobile and she is receiving calls for 8 US cents a minute for incoming.

Now, install EQC or Gizmo Project's client on your BB. Buy $10 in minutes from them telling them to use your Voicestick number as your mobile number in Gizmo or traveling number in EQC. When you use their dialer, it will trigger a callback to your local prepaid SIM at much cheaper rates than the local provider. The amount of data being used is negligible, you don't trigger any of the anti-call back blocking mechanisms used by some companies such as Cable and Wireless and your BB has a US ip address and is generally not effected by local blocking technology.

Also install Fishtext on your BB. It sends SMSes very cheapily and displays your home mobile's CID. Note to Americans, the caller-id doesn't always work sending text messages into the US. If that is the case, spoof your local prepaid SIM's CID and receive on one and text on the other. Note that incoming CIDs come out of your bucket of text (Yanks) or are free Cannucks.

[dc/dc]

Originally Posted by stufried

When I am seriously out of sync with home country (e.g. in Dubai and 9 hours ahead of EST), I use the e-mail trick. Another trick is to sign up for a cheap VOIP phone number. For Yanks, look at the voicestick's next to nothing plan which can also forward numbers abroad. For Canadians look at VBuzzer.com and then forward the call to my mobile. My wife is working in Trinidad for 3 weeks which is only hour different from us. She forwarded her phone to the Voicestick number (with voicemail on a message recorded) and then bought a SIM at the airport and texted me the number. I forwarded it to her Trinidad mobile and she is receiving calls for 8 US cents a minute for incoming.

Now, install EQC or Gizmo Project's client on your BB. Buy $10 in minutes from them telling them to use your Voicestick number as your mobile number in Gizmo or traveling number in EQC. When you use their dialer, it will trigger a callback to your local prepaid SIM at much cheaper rates than the local provider. The amount of data being used is negligible, you don't trigger any of the anti-call back blocking mechanisms used by some companies such as Cable and Wireless and your BB has a US ip address and is generally not effected by local blocking technology.

Also install Fishtext on your BB. It sends SMSes very cheapily and displays your home mobile's CID. Note to Americans, the caller-id doesn't always work sending text messages into the US. If that is the case, spoof your local prepaid SIM's CID and receive on one and text on the other. Note that incoming CIDs come out of your bucket of text (Yanks) or are free Cannucks.

That sounds WAY too complicated.

[reelestate]

I recently did Mexico, and paid Verizon 23 bucks for unlimited data. This was for 11 days, and pro-rated above the 30 bucks I pay in the good ol USA. Just used email. The phone worked great, but was a buck forty a minute.

They programed the plan in advance, for my days out of country. Needed to call *228, option 2, after the phone was changed to Global, before I left the USA.

Worked great.

BAD

[olikoli]

Hey everyone,
I have heard that if you travel with your unlocked berry overseas, say Europe, buy berry data package (BIS) there, you would actually still continue to receive all your emails/bbm etc since your "new" subscription still connects to RIM servers. And apparently the fact that you are paying other company for service would not affect anything.
Has anyone tried this that can actually confirm it?

[rambo47]

In the past I'd take a really basic phone and use a pre-paid SIM, enable call forwarding from my regular number to the new pre-paid number, and use a laptop at the hotel/where ever I was staying for email.

It's an odd feeling, knowing you're disconnected from the Blackberry Collective and that you might have email waiting for you in your inbox. Of course it was no big deal before Blackberrys. That's just how it was, and everyone accepted it. But once you're used to having the option to respond to your mail instantly or leave it for later, your choice, it's tough to go back. Silly to feel this way really. But we do. Information Addiction.

[Jumpin_Joe]

Originally Posted by rambo47

In the past I'd take a really basic phone and use a pre-paid SIM, enable call forwarding from my regular number to the new pre-paid number

If your pre-paid SIM card is overseas, wouldn't your "regular number" be charged to forward the call to your overseas number?

In my case, my USA-based TMO phone would have to be forwarded to one of my pre-paid SIM cards. One is based in the United Kingdom (+44, Isle of Man) and the other in Turkey (+90). That would *not* be cheap for me.

Or am I missing something in your setup?

[stufried]

You don't call forward your US cellphone number directly to the foreign sim card. Even discounted international cell phone long distance is pricey. You obtain a US number with cheap international call forwarding, call forward your US number to that number, and that number abroad.

For example, this number is $1 per month:

VoiceStick.com - Next2Nothing Pay As You Go

and can be programmed to forward abroad at pretty reasonable rates. Or if you are the do it yourself type of person, try this:

1. Get a free Washington number from http://www.ipkall.com/;
2. Sign up for a basic account with pbxes.com (free) or with voxalot basic (free);
3. Buy some minutes from poivy.com

Connect your Washington State number up as the incoming number and program up pbxes.com to transfer the calls via poivy to the your UK (IOM) mobile or Turkish Mobile. Calls are now $0.08 a minute to reach you abroad.

Either way, when you jump on a plane, call forward your calls to your foreign mobile.

Where I am now trying to extend this is to find a way to take my free on device data on my Blackberry (I'm on ATT's $64.95 worldwide Blackberry plan) and find a way to trigger an outgoing call to my prepaid mobile easily.

[Jumpin_Joe]

Originally Posted by stufried

You don't call forward your US cellphone number directly to the foreign sim card. Even discounted international cell phone long distance is pricey. You obtain a US number with cheap international call forwarding, call forward your US number to that number, and that number abroad.

Yeah...I see what you mean now. But, after reading your posting, I realized that while I'm overseas:

* People generally don't call me *that* often. People who I *want* to get a hold of me, know where I am and send me emails or PIN me.

* The contractors, vendors, and other people who call me can simply leave a voicemail - and I'll read their voicemail.

* I don't spend months at a time in a foreign country - so my solution is best for me.

Your perfectly acceptable / workable solution is just not for me (yet). I've filed your response away....Thanks!