Hi, I plan to travel to Zimbabwe and South Africa this June. I have a BlackBerry Bold 9700.

I only will be using emails and text. Do I really need a T-Mobile WorldClass feature. Will my BlackBerry work in South Africa/Zimbabwe if I don't add a WorldClass plan. Have it ever happened to you?

I can't seem to find a better answer from T-Mobile website.

Thank you for your time.

If you want to use email, you will need a BB data plan and if it isn't an international plan, you will have a really, really high data bill. High enough for the International plan.

For text, you will need a voice plan of some description.

Can't comment on what T-Mo has to offer, but whatever, you will need an International voice and BB data plan.

Dubdub,

Sorry I didn't clarify earlier.

I do have:
BlackBerry Unlimited
Unlimited International Texting for Individuals
Unlimited Domestic Messages

I am trying to find a way to avoid a hefty roaming fees for using emails and texts only. Do I need a WorldClass service?

Will my phone be working if I disable the WorldClass feature?

If that is International roaming then yes. You will need an international data plan. If that is what T-Mo calls it then that is what you need.

Under T-Mobile's World Class Service you'll pay $0.35 U.S. to send a text message and $0.20 to receive a text message if you do it on a per-message basis. If you activate the monthly World Class option for texting it's $5.00/month on an individual plan or $10.00/month on a family plan.

Voice calls will cost $4.99 U.S. per minute.

Data (including email) will cost $15 U.S. per MB.

In order to get these reduced rates you must active the World Class Service by calling T-Mobile or using the MyTMobile web page prior to traveling. It's free to activate so do it in advance. There is no monthly charge for WCS other than the texting feature if you opt for monthly. You just pay the usage charges. Texting is a bargain for keeping in touch internationally.

Frankly I'm surprised that these "reduced" rates are still so high for data and voice. I can only imagine what they'd be without the WCS feature. BlackBerry Messenger is very stingy with data so that would be your best messaging option for those friends/family members with BlackBerry with whom you wish to stay in contact. Obviously sending pictures via email is monstrously expensive. A single email with a 2MB picture would cost $30!!

WorldClass® FAQs

Thank you Dubdub and rambo47. I really am appreciated for your helpful.

I just switched, and in my discussions with them they said that they did have a plan to provide unlimited BB email on an international basis, but not unlimited data. Consider calling them for clarification.

Unlimited email separate from general data would make more sense for users. T-Mobile is the last carrier to still offer an International BlackBerry option. Sprint dropped it a while back, making travel with a Sprint "world phone" a bad deal, especially if you're traveling on your own nickel.

Rambo, that is part of the reason why I dumped Sprint and switches to T-Mobile, especially after they charged me for 6 months of a grandfathered international plan for my SO and then, when she left the USA and needed to use it, it hadn't been provisioned properly. No refund, and one lost customer.

However, this is bordering on a rant, so I shouldn't go there in this part of the forum.

Oh, I hear ya! If/when I begin traveling again for work I will be saying goodbye to Sprint. I haven't had any issues with them so far, and their prices have always been excellent (27% discount, $20/month recurring credit) but they have been doing stealth price increases. These discounts were taken away for all but the primary line on an account and they have begun charging a "premium data fee" of $10/month for all smartphones. T-Mobile is coming close in price, and a deal with AT&T will significantly expand their network.

Right now I have 3 lines on a Sprint family data plan. 1500 minutes shared, plus free Any Mobile Any Time calls so we never come close to using all out minutes. My BlackBerry, my son's Android phone, and my daughter's basic flip phone, all with unlimited data and messaging, costs $119 per month. Great network coverage at home and in NYC, plus these prices, are what keeps me with Sprint. For now...

You are not gonna to believe this.

What plans I have:
BlackBerry Unlimited
Unlimited International Texting for Individuals
Unlimited Domestic Messages

I added WorldClass and BB Unlimited International E-mail for 5 days (4.08.11 to 04.15.11).

Plus I disabled TCP/IP (APN: epic.tmobile.co).

I spent 6 hours in Canada and tested my BlackBerry for data usages which was 648kb which included Google Map, Internet and BBM.

I received bills recently and it charged me nothing (just regular monthly charge)! Look like if you add the WorldClass and BB Unlimited International E-mail & removed APN, it won't even charge you for data roaming.

shona67, you might want to give it another month in case the company's system you were roaming on is a bit laid back with their billing practices.

Not saying they will, but you don't want a huge surprise...

Recently received May bill statement. Still ZERO charges on roaming fees except $19.99 BB Unlimited International E-mail Data and free WorldClass Add-on.

Sounds like you are good. Glad to hear it worked out for you....