Howdys All,
I am wondering how bad my first phone bill will be... but first off, some background info:
I bought an unlocked BB 8800 and am using a Rogers SIM. I specifically bought an unlocked phone from the US (Cingular branded) prior to this trip I am on so that I could buy a prepaid SIM overseas and use that instead of paying $3.50/min for international roaming calls.
That said, I didn't end up buying the second SIM and am using the Rogers one.
Now before everyone thinks I'm completely off my rocker, I managed to get by so far (15 days into a trip to India and returning to Canada tonight) without making a single call. So I'm not worried about the costs of voice calls or voicemail retrieval.
As for SMS, I did make use of that; however, at 60 - 75 cents per message, I'm not overly concerned with SMS costs either.
However, I am worried about data...
I'm on a BIS plan that, off the top of my head, cost about $40/mo. I know it wasn't the top BB plan offered for around $100/mo., I am pretty sure it was one down from that. My BB arrived two days before this trip, but prior to that, I had a Nokia E62 on BIS but I only had it for a short time before the BB. The E62 was locked, so that's why I got the BB 8800 instead (but as mentioned earlier, as it turned out I was able to refrain from making calls). But it also means that I haven't had a phone bill yet for either the Nokia or the BB since the time I signed up for BIS.
I'd installed a few apps, some of which refresh weather, world currencies, etc., but feel I have been fairly thrifty with my data. I installed a few OTA programs before I left, and most times while in India, I have disabled data services OR I have manually selected a carrier that was GSM only (no EDGE or data) and then when I want to check email or do data related stuff, I manually switched to another carrier (who had EDGE and data services), let my email flood down, do anything net related that I needed to, and then switched back to the GSM only carrier. I have not used my BB to surf much, since I also brought my laptop along on this trip. I also don't IM or use BB Messenger.
Nonetheless, I have no inkling of how much data I have used, and if this data will cost more or not. I do understand that voice and SMS will cost much more when roaming internationally, but I am fuzzy on how BIS data works if/when roaming. Does my being on BIS "cover me" for my data usage, or is data simply data and I will be paying through the nose for any data used?
I guess I have two issues: if I exceeded my allowed mb's of data, and if data used while roaming will cost me more in either case.
I'm hoping that those that have been there and done that can enlighten me on whether I should start arranging my second mortgage or not, hehe. Thanks in advance.
I am wondering how bad my first phone bill will be... but first off, some background info:
I bought an unlocked BB 8800 and am using a Rogers SIM. I specifically bought an unlocked phone from the US (Cingular branded) prior to this trip I am on so that I could buy a prepaid SIM overseas and use that instead of paying $3.50/min for international roaming calls.
That said, I didn't end up buying the second SIM and am using the Rogers one.
Now before everyone thinks I'm completely off my rocker, I managed to get by so far (15 days into a trip to India and returning to Canada tonight) without making a single call. So I'm not worried about the costs of voice calls or voicemail retrieval.
As for SMS, I did make use of that; however, at 60 - 75 cents per message, I'm not overly concerned with SMS costs either.
However, I am worried about data...
I'm on a BIS plan that, off the top of my head, cost about $40/mo. I know it wasn't the top BB plan offered for around $100/mo., I am pretty sure it was one down from that. My BB arrived two days before this trip, but prior to that, I had a Nokia E62 on BIS but I only had it for a short time before the BB. The E62 was locked, so that's why I got the BB 8800 instead (but as mentioned earlier, as it turned out I was able to refrain from making calls). But it also means that I haven't had a phone bill yet for either the Nokia or the BB since the time I signed up for BIS.
I'd installed a few apps, some of which refresh weather, world currencies, etc., but feel I have been fairly thrifty with my data. I installed a few OTA programs before I left, and most times while in India, I have disabled data services OR I have manually selected a carrier that was GSM only (no EDGE or data) and then when I want to check email or do data related stuff, I manually switched to another carrier (who had EDGE and data services), let my email flood down, do anything net related that I needed to, and then switched back to the GSM only carrier. I have not used my BB to surf much, since I also brought my laptop along on this trip. I also don't IM or use BB Messenger.
Nonetheless, I have no inkling of how much data I have used, and if this data will cost more or not. I do understand that voice and SMS will cost much more when roaming internationally, but I am fuzzy on how BIS data works if/when roaming. Does my being on BIS "cover me" for my data usage, or is data simply data and I will be paying through the nose for any data used?
I guess I have two issues: if I exceeded my allowed mb's of data, and if data used while roaming will cost me more in either case.
I'm hoping that those that have been there and done that can enlighten me on whether I should start arranging my second mortgage or not, hehe. Thanks in advance.