Wow...the level of confusion on this is impressive. Usually the Intertubes provide a consensus, but wow...

OK, I have a U.S. unlimited data plan with AT&T and a BB 9000. I'm traveling to Aruba for a week and have little interest in buying an overpriced data plan nor paying obscene data rates per kbyte. When I've gone to Europe, I have gotten the unlimited international blackberry data plan, but we all know that has been discontinued...another rant for another time...

Anyway...

I understand that if I leave the data off completely but the mobile network on, I can make and receive phone calls and texts at the usual obscene international voice and SMS rates. OK.

It also seems - and this is where it gets dicey -- that if I turn the mobile network OFF but turn ON WiFi -- provided I can find an open wireless network at my hotel -- I should be able to access the interwebs without using the AT&T data network and therefore without incurring data charges. Obviously, the phone doesn't make or receive phone calls or texts in this state, but I get that. At home, right now, I'm doing this using my own WiFi network but no AT&T data, at least according to my data monitoring app.

In spite of these assumptions, will I come home to a $2500 data bill, or is this right. In other words, does AT&T charge for data even when I'm accessing the net through a hotel WiFi network with the wireless radio off?

Thanks...

Wirelessly posted (Tmo's cheapest BB customer)

Wifi should be free. Think of your BB like you would a laptop with wifi. If you connect to a wifi hotspot, you won't be charged. With wifi you are connected to the nearby router, AT&T wouldn't know who and what you are connected to while on wifi.

Wirelessly posted (White and Nerdy)

Go to options > mobile network

Turn off data services

This will disable the moble network data connection (GPRS/EDGE/3G)

Enable the wifi.

You will only get charged for the SMS/Calls. Data WILL be free over wifi