Data roaming on PAYG

[Gotte]

I was trying to find out from T-mobile, how long

 

[MattW]

I was trying to find out from T-mobile, how long

 

[vjprakashbe]

BTW, GPS doesn't use any data allowance.

Unless you enabled it for Google Maps.

 

[MattW]

Unless you enabled it for Google Maps.

Then it's google maps using the data, not gps.

 

[samktc]

Here's a rough guide copied from Tmobile's site:

The amount of data you use when you go online really depends on what you do. Here are a few examples of things you might typically get up to:

• Checking a good handful of your emails won't use more than about 100 kilobytes of data (0.1 megabytes or MB)
• Catching up online with any sports results you might be missing on will only use about 0.1MB too.
• Uploading a holiday snap to Facebook will use about 0.2MB of data, so you could add a selection for your mates to see for about 1MB.

You might also want to turn off your data whilst roaming, as this will stop your phone from constantly checking for updates on emails, maps etc, and keep you from being charged loads.

Go to Wireless Controls / Mobile Network Settings / Data Roaming and you can switch it on when necessary.

 

[Gotte]

Thanks for that, esp the info from T-mobile site. Much appreciated.

I'm still a bit confused about Data roaming. I understand how it works abroad, and how it might cost me more, as it'll be another, foreign, network, but if I enable it in the UK, does it mean if there's a stronger 3g signal than T-mobile's, it'll jump onto that and cost me the other network's charges?

 

[LABRAT]

Not sure about t mobile but on 3uk I was told by customer support that roming was free and the phone would jump onto the Orange network if 3 was down at no extra charge.

Obviously that pretty usless info in your case but I thought id mention it as an example.

 

[Gotte]

Not sure about t mobile but on 3uk I was told by customer support that roming was free and the phone would jump onto the Orange network if 3 was down at no extra charge.

Obviously that pretty usless info in your case but I thought id mention it as an example.

Thanks, I'll give them a bell to make sure - when I have an hour to spare going through the options then getting a person then being passed onto another person, then another, then waiting on hold some more and finally getting an answer...hopefully.

All the best.

 

[dodouche]

Thanks for that, esp the info from T-mobile site. Much appreciated.

I'm still a bit confused about Data roaming. I understand how it works abroad, and how it might cost me more, as it'll be another, foreign, network, but if I enable it in the UK, does it mean if there's a stronger 3g signal than T-mobile's, it'll jump onto that and cost me the other network's charges?

Roaming is exclusively something you do while abroad, i.e. in a country other than the one of your own mobile network. Enabling it "in the UK" won't let you jump on another UK network which may or may not have a stronger signal than the one provided by your own network.

There are agreements between different UK operators which allow this (regardless of whether you have roaming or not) but this is done fairly transparently to the user and there are no further charges. Agreements between operators do change over time so I'm not able to provide you with exact details of which operator 'shares' with which other without doing some research but I can tell you, as an example, that at one point Orange customers who were out of signal were automatically switched on to the O2 network until conditions improved (i.e. you got on your bike or they raised another mast). I think that agreement has terminated now. I also imagine that some of the agreements cover just voice, 2G and/or 3G.

 

[Gotte]

Thanks for that, very informative.

All the best

Phil