You might have heard about some horror stories about iPhone users receiving $3000 bills for international roaming.
AT&T is sending out emails to its iPhone customers with data usage tips on how to reduce bills while traveling out of US.
Here is what the email message from AT&T had to say:
AT&T knows that the mobile Internet on your Apple iPhone is indispensable to you. That’s why we want to remind you that international data usage is not covered under your existing U.S. data plan.
Your iPhone provides access to email, Visual Voicemail, Web browsing and other applications that can use a significant amount of data. It’s no surprise that you might find yourself using more data than you thought. AT&T wants to let you know of some easy ways to help minimize data usage charges when traveling overseas.”
The tips for international data usage recommended by AT&T are mentioned below:
- Turn Data Roaming “OFF” via Settings>General>Network>Data Roaming
- Use Wi-Fi Instead of 3G, GPRS or EDGE via Settings>Airplane Mode to “OFF” and select Wi-Fi to “ON” is an extra safety message to turn of the cellular radio
- Turn Fetch New Data “OFF” via Settings>Fetch New Data Change Push to “OFF” and Select to Fetch Manually
- Consider purchasing one of AT&T’s International Data Packages
- Reset the iPhone Usage Tracker to Zero - to track your actual usage Settings>General>Usage>Reset
If you are a heavy user then the international data packages might be worthwhile as for $24.99 per month, iPhone users get 20MB of data use outside the US. If you don't have a plan, the cost is $.0195/KB. If you are on the plan, the overage charge is $.005/KB which is significantly cheaper.
However, if you decide to purchase one of AT&T's International Data packages, please remember that there is a catch. You should not cancel the international data packages immediately after you are back from your trip. You need to leave the international roaming data plan for 90 extra days. An iPhone Atlas reader explains the reason for this:
"AT&T’s policy (unwritten, so far as I can tell) is that one needs to leave the roaming plan in place for 90 extra days, so that it is still in place when the foreign carrier finally reports the subscriber’s roaming back to AT&T. If the plan is not in place when the foreign data usage gets reported to AT&T, then AT&T’s billing system — which was fully capable of charging me for the International Data Roaming service when it was in place — is incapable of recognizing that I had an international data roaming plan in place on the dates that the foreign carrier says I used its data connection”
Enjoy the video below, a parody of an iPhone commercial by an iPhone user who visited Ibiza, Spain and other parts of Europe for two weeks, and he returned with memories of a hedonistic summer vacation, and a $4190.76 bill from AT&T:
And before you start cribbing about AT&T, please remember that everyone charges for international data plans. At least they are being proactive about educating iPhone users like me who obviously cannot live without the data plans to avoid the horror of receiving insane bills for international roaming.
Let us know your thoughts and if you have any other iPhone tip up your sleeve to reduce data usage further do let us know in the comments below.
[via iPhone Atlas]
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The simplest one (and this prevents voice charges too) that I have seen is simply remove your sim card before leaving on your trip, with Fring and a Skype account you will be able to call from anywhere that you can get Wifi Access. But you will not get dinged from people leaving you voicemails at the international rate nor will you get unexpected data charges. Of course, be sure to keep your Sim Card in a safe place.
Hey Chris,
That's a good tip, especially the idea of using VOIP apps like Fring.
cheers!
When I upgrade my 1st gen iPhone to a 3G, I plan to give my old one to a friend who doesn't have a data plan. I'm going to try the solution listed here for her:
http://www.iphonedownloadblog.com/using-an-iphone-without-the-data-plan/
This is where Att needs to learn how to help their LOYAL customers. T-mobile at least lets you know when your gonna run out of your minutes. Something so simple like sending a quick text msg. to let you know "hey dumbass" your almost out of your minutes would be realy nice.
This is where Att needs to learn how to help their LOYAL customers. T-mobile at least lets you know when your gonna run out of your minutes. Something so simple like sending a quick text msg. to let you know "hey dumbass" your almost out of your minutes would be realy nice.
Removing the sim card is a brilliant idea. And if you want less expensive phone rates overseas here are some other ideas.
1. If you phone is unlocked and can use other SIM cards, purchase a SIM card for your destination country. Swapping your phone's SIM card for a SIM card from your destination country can save you money. You'll pay rock-bottom rates on any call you make and incoming calls are free.
2. Purchase a prepaid, disposable phone. They cost $25 and less. You can find them in airport kiosks and many overseas convenience stores.
3. Purchase a cheap calling card. Calling cards, which cost $5 and up, are easy to find. They're sold in convenience stores, airports and even post offices.
Cant purchase a SIM card overseas for the 3G. remember they cant be unlocked yet, as for 1st gen yes you can do that given that you have unlocked it.
I learnred this long ago as i was one of the first that got the 11st gen when i came out. After a software update late in 2007/early 2008 it added the data roaming option on/off. prior to this, there was no way to turn on or off, so if you had your phone on and the sim installed, it woul use date, hey even when you have it lcoked and screen off it s downloading data. The only thing is to pull out the sim. I just returned form an overseas trip this week, and as i always do, i pulled my sim, just in case and tunred of data roaming. i used fring with skype and SIP, while oconnected to WIFI, available at the hotels and resorts in Dom Rep, Skype wored great clear and at just 2.5 centa a minute its pratcially free! SIP was good too, and that was totoally free depending on which voip you use. As far as text messages, I sent them through the AIM app…worked great too. I also had Beejive for Instan messages. I have to admit, It all worked great, the only minor thing was every time i turned on fring i had to log out of skyp and log back in to make the calls or it would work..kinda cumbersome. Running these programs, i noticed that i chewed up battery more than when im home with the SIM card in. Not sure why? the only donwfall is that people coupld not call me….nothing and $18 bucks cant buy you for skype, but i idint want to by that in case it didint work…IT DID.