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T-Mobile G1 Net Access Can't Be Turned Off, Results in Huge Roaming Costs

Luckily I don't plan on making international trips in a few years.

or note to self: leave G1 @ home
 
I sure wouldn't pay it considering the data roaming feature is specifically intended to prevent this. It sounds a lot like a bug.

Data roaming IS heinously expensive though. I used a AT&T BB 8830 last year on numerous business trips to the UK and racked up a $9xx bill one month while mostly on O2's network, occasionally on vodafone. Don't even think about tethering it as a modem either-- that gets crazy expensive.

Another guy in my office topped $2k (US) while in Geneva.

Correct solution for frequent business travelers: ask your carrier to unlock your phone and have a SIM card for a local provider ready for you. The carrier might complain, but they will nearly always unlock it when you tell them why-- at least on a corporate account they will. I'm guessing they will tell Joe Normal to pound sand.

Cheers,
-Colin
 
something doesn't add up. he could have turned it on airplane mode and/or turned off "data roaming" and in theory, that would have stopped it. I'm just saying...
 
sThig said:
something doesn't add up. he could have turned it on airplane mode and/or turned off "data roaming" and in theory, that would have stopped it. I'm just saying...
Click to expand...

Yeah, you'd say so, though I guess airplane mode is not an option since he might receive incoming (emergency) calls. Hope this get's fixed before I get to go snowboarding in Swiss in 3 weeks...
 
Whats absurd about the whole deal is that they're outrageously charing people to use someone else's network when traveling, when if you were on that network naturally you'd be charged a normal price.

This is quite literally suckering the guy from out of town.
 
Swizz said:
Moral: Keep a cheapy backup phone.
Click to expand...

That is my solution. I am going to Holland in a few days and I need to keep using my t-mo number so everyone can get a hold of me. Luckily, I have a couple old unlocked GSM phones. I guess I'll be sticking my t-mo SIM in one of them on this trip. What a disappointment. We need an update to fix this.
 
I found this solution posted on another board. It seems like it should work.

Some people are upset that you cannot disable data on the G1 which will lead to unavoidable roaming charges if you travel out of the country. But wait, I believe there IS a way to disable data on the G1. I haven't traveled out of the country to test this, but I see no reason why it woudn't work.

1. Install "Any Cut" from the Android Market.
2. Long press on the home screen, select short cut, then Any Cut.
3. Choose Activity, scroll down to "Testing" to create a shortcut on your home screen.
4. Select the new shorcut to "Testing" on your home screen.
5. Select "Phone Information"
6. Press Menu, More, disable data connection.

Use the same steps to enable data when you return!

Original link:
http://surrealnetworks.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1480
 
1) I think the guy screwed up and didn't have data roaming disabled. You'd know very quickly if you were getting data or not (getting e-mail/accessing android market/etc)

2) It's a given that roaming is expensive outside your plan coverage. It's been like this for years, even in the US before nationwide plans. Someone said the charges are absurd...yes they are. There's ways to get prices down though and unless your rich or stupid, you should be able to avoid the absurd prices.
 
its more of a.. tmobile will say "well, the user shoulda done something about it" while the user will say, "well, tmobile shoulda done something about it"
 
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