[Loomy]

So a friend of mine is going to be wandering around europe for a month or so. England, France, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Switzerland... and he wants data access for his time there. He's willing to buy a handheld and service so he can use data (IM/IRC/whatnot) while he's on the road. I know Blackberry has the apps for this.

But the real question is the service. If he was going to do this and then sell or use the handheld as a phone when he returns to North America, what would be the way to go about doing this?

Buy handheld here and buy SIM+service in europe? Or vice versa, or...? I'm not sure about all this stuff, so maybe someone can shed some light!

Ola, amigos!

[drgoodtymes]

Well my mom just got back from Europe, and I set her up with 7105 T-Mobile, unlimited BIS (19.99) data add on, as well as the International BB plan (19.99) add, only for the 3 weeks she was gone and it worked great. We were emailing, and BB messenger the whole time she was gone.

[trinybwoy]

Originally Posted by drgoodtymes

Well my mom just got back from Europe, and I set her up with 7105 T-Mobile, unlimited BIS (19.99) data add on, as well as the International BB plan (19.99) add, only for the 3 weeks she was gone and it worked great. We were emailing, and BB messenger the whole time she was gone.

did she get charged for roaming? or is that somehow inclucled with the international unlimeted data?

[getthething]

Originally Posted by drgoodtymes

Well my mom just got back from Europe, and I set her up with 7105 T-Mobile, unlimited BIS (19.99) data add on, as well as the International BB plan (19.99) add, only for the 3 weeks she was gone and it worked great. We were emailing, and BB messenger the whole time she was gone.

Is PIN messaging included in the international data plan? I was under the impression it was only email. What all does it include? For the OP i would get service here and either do what drgoodtymes said to do for data or get an unlocked phone so you can use european sim cards for calls (its much cheaper this way for calls)

[drgoodtymes]

Originally Posted by getthething

Is PIN messaging included in the international data plan? I was under the impression it was only email. What all does it include? For the OP i would get service here and either do what drgoodtymes said to do for data or get an unlocked phone so you can use european sim cards for calls (its much cheaper this way for calls)

PIN messaging is also included. We would email, but also use BB Messenger which is a PIN to PIN client the whole time, it worked great.

[drgoodtymes]

Originally Posted by trinybwoy

did she get charged for roaming? or is that somehow inclucled with the international unlimeted data?

The only roaming charges she had was for her voice calls. The international BB plan for 19.99 covers all data

[getthething]

Originally Posted by drgoodtymes

The only roaming charges she had was for her voice calls. The international BB plan for 19.99 covers all data

Quote from tmobile site:

"BlackBerry Unlimited International E-mail
Make the world a little smaller. Send and receive unlimited e-mail while you travel for one low monthly fee. You must be using a carrier that provides GPRS Internet service to send or receive e-mail. Voice calls are billed at standard international rates."

This would make it seem that it would only be email. I could see pin being included but can anyone confirm that all data is included? (email, pin, web browsing)

[pemabuk]

Originally Posted by getthething

Quote from tmobile site:

"BlackBerry Unlimited International E-mail
Make the world a little smaller. Send and receive unlimited e-mail while you travel for one low monthly fee. You must be using a carrier that provides GPRS Internet service to send or receive e-mail. Voice calls are billed at standard international rates."

This would make it seem that it would only be email. I could see pin being included but can anyone confirm that all data is included? (email, pin, web browsing)

I don't use PIN messaging, but the email and web browsing are included. I have used mine in Hong Kong and Quebec (I am NY based). The only charge is the $19.99 unlimited international email add-on. No separate roaming charges. NOT TRUE for voice however. But for email and data, it is all in.

[trinybwoy]

Originally Posted by pemabuk

I don't use PIN messaging, but the email and web browsing are included. I have used mine in Hong Kong and Quebec (I am NY based). The only charge is the $19.99 unlimited international email add-on. No separate roaming charges. NOT TRUE for voice however. But for email and data, it is all in.

I am trying to fully understand this international data plan; does it work with any service provider the counrty uses or only for the tmobile service provider for that country?
For example if I go home to trinidad and tobago, they don't have tmobile, they instead have "tstt"......would I still be able to use the unlimited international data? Or would I be charged for roaming?

[headtailgrep]

If only Canadian carriers had european roaming plans.. Thery are unaffordable to the casual user.. data AND voice..

[drgoodtymes]

The pin messaging goes through the data portion of the BB so therefor it is included in the data package. Most companies don't spell out PIN messaging because it would confuse more people that it would help

[pemabuk]

Originally Posted by trinybwoy

I am trying to fully understand this international data plan; does it work with any service provider the counrty uses or only for the tmobile service provider for that country?
For example if I go home to trinidad and tobago, they don't have tmobile, they instead have "tstt"......would I still be able to use the unlimited international data? Or would I be charged for roaming?

Example: I have T-Mobile in New York. When I travel to Quebec, and I turn my bb on after the plane lands, instead of T-Mobile on the display it will display "Rogers." Similarly in Hong Kong my blackberry will not display "T-Mobile" but rather "xxxx" (I forget off hand).

You will be using whatever carrier T-Mobile has contracted with in that country, while present in that country. BUT your data usage is included on your unlimited international data plan. You are "roaming" by using the other country's cell network, but not roaming in the sense that you are being charged an additional per minute fee, in the traditional cell-voice roaming sense.

Now, if you Do NOT have the international unlimited add-on, you will be charged a per kb fee for using the other country's network.

To reiterate, if you have the Unlimited International Data plan, you will be using the other country's network whilst there, but you will not incurr any additional charges whatsoever for sending/receiving data. The $19.99 fee is all there is.

If you use your bb for voice calls on T-Mobile whilst oversease, you will be charged a voice roaming fee. I do not use this feature because I use a different device for my voice calls.

Hope that clarifies.

[getthething]

Not to throw this anymore off track, but if all data is included does that mean you can use data based applications like verichat, ramble, google maps?

[jeffharris]

I am on T-Mobile. Last month, I was in Switzerland, UK, Germany, then I came back to the US, then went to Hong Kong, and Thailand (both had EDGE). I used ALL apps, PLUS, I tethered the BB 8700 (using Mobishark) for EDGE data in HK and Thailand, used it at least 50MB, and my T-Mobile bill cycled today. The data roaming charges? Nothing ...Zip ... Nada ... Niet .... Bupkus ... Null ... ZERO !!!!

I had also traveled extensively for the 3 months before, since I had the 8700 -- no data roaming charges ... Yay !!!

[Loomy]

Sounds like T-mo is the way To-go! I looked it up and they have an alliance with a number of euro carriers, which when paired with the Tmo international plan means you get free roaming all over the place.

The unfortunate part of this is that my friend and I are Canadian. I see that Rogers isn't the most loved even in Canada, and definitely not internationally. And apparently Canadians cannot buy Tmo service, say the telephone support people.

I'm thinking the thing for him to do is pick up an unlocked phone now (maybe one of these Cingular 8700c's), and go to a Tmo store at his first euro stop. Hand them some money and say "sign me up with a SIM". They can't possible refuse (RIGHT?!)

[TheRFGuy]

Originally Posted by Loomy

Sounds like T-mo is the way To-go! I looked it up and they have an alliance with a number of euro carriers, which when paired with the Tmo international plan means you get free roaming all over the place.

The unfortunate part of this is that my friend and I are Canadian. I see that Rogers isn't the most loved even in Canada, and definitely not internationally. And apparently Canadians cannot buy Tmo service, say the telephone support people.

I'm thinking the thing for him to do is pick up an unlocked phone now (maybe one of these Cingular 8700c's), and go to a Tmo store at his first euro stop. Hand them some money and say "sign me up with a SIM". They can't possible refuse (RIGHT?!)

If your friend travels frequently, they can still get a data-only sim plan as long as you have a US address to give TMO and don't mind paying a cash deposit. A friend of mine from Vancouver BC did that on one of his trip to Seattle. Saved him a tone on the long run with the unlimited international email plan!

[entrada]

I am confused by the above discussion of t-mobile's $19.99/month data plan. I called t-mobile customer service and was told that the international data charge was only for e-mail uses of the blackberry. Data use via internet browsing and a teathered laptop modem would be charged based on the actual MB used. And I don't recall but it was a hefty charge. I know one of the posters above said they used the BB as a modem without additional charges. But this is contrary to what t-mobile told me.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by entrada

I am confused by the above discussion of t-mobile's $19.99/month data plan. I called t-mobile customer service and was told that the international data charge was only for e-mail uses of the blackberry. Data use via internet browsing and a teathered laptop modem would be charged based on the actual MB used. And I don't recall but it was a hefty charge. I know one of the posters above said they used the BB as a modem without additional charges. But this is contrary to what t-mobile told me.

There's a thread about that somewhere. From it, it would seem you got bad info from TMO. Search for it and you will find it.

[endodoc]

I am kinda lost here. I will be in Europe next week for a week, but would like to have access to my business email (IMAP). I do not use BES. Can I get the international service only for that time and then "cancle" when I get home. How will this work?

[CingyMacGuy]

Cingular offers BlackBerry International plans as well...