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Help In Japan and need some help

M

mcoomer

Member
I'm in Japan and decided to bring the phone to see if the ICS update really gave us global capabilities. For the first few days I was here I could see bars and receive text messages but nothing else worked. I had mobile data enabled but had white bars and no connectivity. Emailed Verizon for help but no response. Hit the more button on the system settings menu and found a second network settings menu. Enabled data there and selected Global Data and finally had blue bars and 1X data. Supposed to have 3G but the phone can't see it. Also, if I try to make a call, bars go white as soon as I hit send and it takes another minute or so after I hit end before they turn blue again. Finally, even though I asked for the 100MB Global Data plan before leaving to come here and it shows up in my plan features I'm getting text messages and email from Verizon telling me I've racked up more than $150 in data charges. I logged out of Facebook before enabling data to kill that traffic, I've only accessed a few emails and weather forecasts, and phone says I've used 10.48MB. Not sure why I'm getting these but if Verizon tries to stick me with a big bill I'm going to be pissed.

So, if someone can help me out with settings that have worked for them in Japan or elsewhere I'd appreciate hearing them. I'm hopeful that I've simply forgotten to check a box somewhere. Really disappointed in the phone and support from Verizon so far during this trip.

Thanks,
Mike
 
Heard from another user on Verizon's support forum that he was able to get 3G when he set the phone to GSM/UMTS for data. Verizon says the data connection is CDMA but I wasn't able to get better than 1X service with that setting. Neither of us were able to make phone calls or send texts.

Easiest way I found to change data settings is an app call LTE On/Off for Thunderbolt. Worked well on my Maxx and allowed me to get to the network settings screen without having to type all the characters into the dialer.

Hope this helps someone.

Mike
 
Heads Up you may want to call VZW back about the 100mb data plan. Several parts of Asia they don't offer that anymore. It's went to strictly pay per kb which is why you're probably getting the text messages.

The exact same thing happened to me. I travel frequently to South Korea...here now... and I used to always get the same data plan when i would use my BB. Then one time i kept getting those text messages. So i finally called and asked why. Turns out the person i spoke to originally before leaving was mistaken on how the data plans worked, and that it was strictly per per kb only now and no 100mb data plan even existed. So just call them and double check.
 
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