I posted a question on 9/7 and did an experiment on 10/9-12 in the Netherlands--a place I've always been charged for data.

1. I assigned up for a BB int'l plan on 9/9.
2. Went to the Netherlands on 10/9 with a Treo 650.
3. On 10/9, I used the Treo for e-mail only with the wap.voicestream.com apn.
4. On 10/10, I used the Treo for browsing with the the wap.voicestream.com apn.
5. On 10/11, I used the Treo for e-mail only with the internet2.voicestream.com apn.
6. On 10/12, I used the Treo for browsing with the internet2.voicestream.com apn.

On my Tmo bill, I was charged for data for 10/11 and 10/12 leading me to conclude that the billing system uses the apn as a determinant of what qualifies as BB e-mail only.

P.S. In calling, Tmo, they credited those charges.

Bottom line: use the wap.voicestream.com apn if you're using a Treo.

[sarcasrm]That's real helpful for us Blackberry users. [/sarcasm]

Just kidding, but is it really the same for a Treo and a BB?

This has been answered so many times in the forums. Yes it includes data. I just returned from Panama, Brazil, Argentina and Chile and have no extra data charges whatsoever. Have been all over the world with the berry and never had any extra charges other than the $20 international unlimted data fee.

Canadasy, while I do not know of anyone who has actually been charged for Data, the website specifically says Unlimited Email add on and t-mobile reps have constantly said that web data will be charged.

As far as I know it depends on the interntaional operators ability to seperate the different types of GPRS data.

I am interested to know if you are using BES or BIS. I may be wrong, but my understanding is there is no way for the operator to know if BES traffic if email, web or whatever because its all encrypted. If you are using BIS though, blackberry email traffic will be very different from web traffic that goes over their own systems.

I beg to differ. I spoke with 3 different TMO reps and ALL THREE of them said that web data is included.

YMark, that is definitely great to hear although different to my experience. Do you have any names / direct numbers of some of those reps that I could quote in case I did ever get charged (i won't even be using mine in the US so this is quite important for me).

I can say it does include data. Ive been a on Eastern Caribbean cruise in July, and I was roaming the whole time on the ship on Cingular, then I was using Orange, Bahamas TeleCom, and 2 other networks while on different islands.

I can say that using the device heavily 24-7 on the ship, I was billed about 8 bux for the week of service.

I just received my TMO bill where I had international roaming / data for one week when I was in Mazatlan. I can confirm that there was no additional charge for data. The week cost me $6 and some change. I used email and web browsing. Didn't make any phone calls.

I think it might be relative to where you go, actually. I contacted T-Mobile about the Philippines, and I was explicitly told that, yes, I would pay for data. The first megabyte is included with the plan, but then it was rated at $15 per subsequent megabyte.

Strange, however, that there seems to be a lack of specificity in the T-Mobile hierarchy. With many people receiving conflicting answers, and such, it's rather annoying. I suppose I may not conclusively know whether or not T-Mobile will charge me for data until I actually use it.

I can say that while I was in the UK, my TMobile bill more than doubled unexpectantly. When I called to complain, I was told my 'international' plan only included calls; all my web searches (Googling, restaurant reviews, maps, etc.) cost much, MUCH more than I expected. In my particular case, TMobile did indeed charge for web searching in addition...

I was afraid someone was going to say they were charged for data while in the UK. I'm headed there next month and was going to take my latop and 8700G but now I'm rethinking that.

You didn't say, so just to be sure: The "interational plan" you're referring to is the $19.99 add on ulimited one being discussed in this thread right?

sorry to change the roaming country, how about Australia? anybody been there and used the international roaming?

thanks.

Hi, i'm thinking of buying a Blackberry Pearl with T-mobile Service, i'm only interested in reciving and sending emails while i'm out of the US, does anyone what in what countries would this be possible if i pay the 19.99 international email plan?

Thanks so much.

mEmE

Go to International wireless roaming: international cellular calling coverage and check out the drop-down list where it says "Roam Worldwide."

According to T-Mobile's site, you'll be covered under the $19.99 add-on in any country on that list that has GPRS coverage.

Padders I am on BES. However, I have only been on BES for my most recent trip (South America). All the travel I did before that time was BIS & there have been no additional data charges.

Incidentally I disagree that T-Mobile doesn't know how much data we're using. My bill shows very clearly the data usage from each international carrier including multiple carriers within the same country. For example, in Brazil service kept jumping between GPRS, EDGE, and GSM depending where I was & I have three separate Brazilian carriers listed on my bill. No secrets here. And no additional charges.

I've been all over the world (recently to Canada, Iceland, Malta, England, Germany, Czech Republic, Romania, Austria, Peru, Easter Island, French Polynesia, Australia, Philippines, Cambodia, China (Tibet), India, Egypt, Morocco & so forth) with my bb and NEVER had data roaming charges. Huge roaming charges for voice calls yes; but nothing for data.

I hope this helps.

PS - I use the wap.voicestream.com apn.

Curious as to anyone who has travelled to the UK (London and Scotland) recently and can say if they've been charged for data. About 12 months ago I made the trip and wasn't charged. Just wanted to make sure things hadn't changed.

I used t mobile data roaming all over Italy and Croatia last fall (2006) and paid no added charge above the $19.99 for the web browsing. But will be going to Spain next month and want to know if this is still the case. Since some of you are saying that using the data roaming in the UK has been charged on a MB basis. Any updates?

Last I was in the UK was in Dec 2006. I got the $19.99 unlimited plan and wasn't charged anything further...

I went to Canada last year with the plan and wasn't charged either.

Went to Taiwan recently, used data services on various GPRS networks and was charged $60 extra dollars for the 10 days or so I was there. Ironically, the year before, I roamed on the same networks in Taiwan and used my Blackberry to access the internet as usual and was never charged an extra cent.

Ramsy - had you signed up for Tmobile's $19.99/month unlimited international e-mail plan before you left the US?

Worked like a charm! I signed up for the plan and spent two weeks in egypt. Had a gprs connection wherever I went, even from the top of Mt. Sinai! Very impressive for $10! When I signed up they even had an option for automatic removal, all I had to do was tell them the date I needed it off. When I got back, I called in to check and it had been removed from my plan.

No, I had not. I actually went to my T-Mobile's site before I left to see if there were any new services I could select regarding international data usage. I do not recall seeing the unlimited international e-mail plan, but I cannot be positive now. However, reading the description, it looks like the plan is for e-mail only and not for general internet browsing. When I am traveling international, I use the browser as much as my e-mail, so I will be curious to see if this $19.99/month additional service includes browser data. Next time I go, I will definitely sign up for this service and see if it stops the additional charges.

The 19.99 unlimited international plan worked for all data for me. I tethered up with my laptop daily to send photos of my trip back home (small resized photos!)

i emailed them the other day and got a reply that said that they do charge $15 per mb!!!!! kind of a rip off!!!!!

It seems that a lot of people get different answers to this question, depending on what service rep replies. I've actually used the data plan in Mexico, paying for the international data plan. The $20 was for unlimited data and email. I was only gone a week and they pro-rated it. I was charged all of $5 for the week and I used email and the internet a whole lot.

Other people on this thread have posted the same.

I plan to repeat this above experiment next month:

Change to the basic T-mobile BB plan, voice barred.
Add the unlimited BB email international roaming.
Only use the wap server on my sim.
Go to Amsterdam and use the data features on my Treo 650.

My question is: How do I know if I am being charged for data by the meg without waiting a month for the bill? Is there a way to track the data charges (if any) in real time or with a day or so delay?

One thing is certain - tmo wants to charge for any data other than email on a blackberry, that's policy. But their inability to differentiate data from email has or still is preventing them from doing so in most countries. In fact it was a tmo pda specialist who suggested that I switch to a BB with the intl plan to surf the web using the device as a modem. His advice was repeated by a supervisor in the same department. But the official line is still $15/meg. With my usage this could mean a 4 figure suprise on my phone bill.

So the question is, how to track the data charges??

Well...It's really confusing to see this issue, since I'm currently using T-Mo BIS with a BB plan for international data (Only email) and I've been out of the US since December 20th, 2006 and had 5 billing cycles and still no charges for web browsing. I've even used the device as a modem...very heavy use and no additional charges have been presented in my bill.

I did call the CSR when I left the US and they explain, 4 different versions:

1- Yes there is an additional charge of US$15.00 per MB.
2- No it's free if you added the $19.99 to your plan.
3- Some countries we do and some we don't.
4- It's based on the carrier you use.

In the end I decided to use it and hope to get away with it. So far no additional charges!

P.S. I'm un the Dominican Republic using Orange as the GSM carrier.

Quick explanation.

19.99 bb intt email only covers email
how ever most intl carriers cant separate the email from the browsing so you wont be charged
BUT if you are, theres nothing tmobile can do about it, thier stance is $15 per 1mb for web browsing even with the 19.99 bb EMAIL feature

Without the feature you can get email and web browse, it should be $15 per 1mb. However its a broken system and a good amount of the time users are not changred.

In some rare cases users are unable to get any data w/o the bb intl feature, even when gsm/gprs roaming is enabled on the service.

My advice add the 19.99 and hope you dont get hit for web browsing. Best way to avoid a heart-attack-enducing bill.

Just a side note, after I got the last half of my bill, I saw that I was billed for two calls labeled as "Voicemail retrieval" for $2 each. Obviously I didn't make those calls (considering I was asleep at the time they were supposedly made). But when I called, they said that if anyone calls you, even if you don't pick up, you get billed for each call. I spent over an hour on the phone with the rep and then the supervisor with no avail, they couldn't offer any other solution other than make sure noone calls you while you're out of the country.

So have any of you seen this sort of behavior?

Was the phone on?

FROM TMOBILE WEBSITE:

Will calls and voicemail I receive from home cost extra?
Both incoming and outgoing calls are billed at the international roaming rate for the country you're in. Voicemail is also billed at the same rate. You can have your voicemail forwarded to a home phone number or even a hotel room, if that is more convenient for you. For more details, call Customer Care at 1-800-937-8997.

Yes, the phone was on.

That's interesting about having voicemail forwarded, the reps didn't even mention that solution. They wanted me to switch my plan over to a blackberry only plan (which would disrupt the family plan I'm currently on).

But, from your note, it looks like I could have had voicemail forwarded to a home phone number, and then I wouldn't have been billed for the voicemail messages left while I was out of the country?