Just used this in Japan and Korea

Japan: NO MATTER What T-Mobile website says, you cannot roam onto NTT right now (don't know if this is a temp or permanent issue; noticed this a month ago): Roamed on Softbank; Speeds are hard to gauge as you cannot use speedtest to test on a Tokyo server as the APN/Data is all being routed via US. When I turned off all location services it did an IP distance compare and picked a server in the US:

Free data:
Down: 80Kb/sec - 118Kb/sec
Up: 130Kb/sec - 134 Kb/sec

Since I have a hotspot/mifi also I did a data package on that for 500Mb and got:

Hotspot/Mifi (Paid Package)
Down 1.1Mb/sec -3.2Mb/sec
Up: 180Kb/sec - 1.1Mb/sec

This was in Kansai Airport and in Central Tokyo a few days later. I tried with another SIM I have for Vodafone Germany where I have discounted data and speeds were about the same as the paid data package which leads me to believe Softbank is throttling their network access to external nets (e.g. local Softbank SIM see's MUCH greater speeds)

South Korea: Roamed just on SKT

Free data:
Down: 120-135Kb/sec
Up: 100-125Kb.sec

Hotspot/mifi (paid package)
Down 700Kb/sec -5.3Mb/sec
Up: 480Kb/sec - 3.6Mb/sec

This is FAST throttled data on free NOT anything like how poor EDGE is.


Some hints:

- On Demand Mifi WILL not roam at ALL if no package has ever been provisioned. Use the free data on your smartphone and log into http://my.t-mobile.com Once logged in go to https://my-tmobile.com/Plan/Plans.as...vid=changeplan View plan for hotspot and and change plan, under Data Tab when viewing change plan add a package; once you confirm and submit (ENSURE before you submit you are adding to correct line!) you will get a confirmation. It was about 5 mins and then hotspot was able to connect to network.

- On demand Mifi WILL STOP working at end of time period NOT at end of data usage. So if you pick 500MB package which is 2 weeks expiration, it will actually STOP full speed at 500MB and revert to a 64Kb/sec speed till expiration; this ONLY applies to packages purchased on on demand hotspots. If you purchase a package for a smartphone you will revert to standard 128kb/sec

- You can schedule WHEN paid packages start (immediate or a time/date you set)

- If you purchase a package on phone or hotspot and you will about to expire you can purchase ANOTHER one if you want and even though it will say "starts when your existing package date ends" it will IMMEDIATE activate it when you run out of data. Example You pay for 300Mb for one week and will eat into 300Mb, you can buy a package ANYTIME and it will future date it as being effective ONLY when the existing package date ends. HOWEVER once the existing package data amount is used up it will IMMEDIATE activate the paid pending package.

- Hotspots with On Demand will lose network access at end of paid period even if it reverted to lower hotspot only speed of 64kb/sec. So top up before you lose network.

- Hotspots seem to CORRECTLY go to "Buy Data pass page" if they have network access to begin with ; e.g. if you have access and want to TOP up another package go to: http://t-mo.co/4G-Data It will LIST packages there and it's easy to add one - AGAIN you have to have already purchased a package to have network access. I used it to extend a 100MB package for one day to a 300MB package for a week. NO need to login ; they do account validation through T-Mobile APN. NOTE: this method is NOT working on phones; it will show the http://t-mo.co/4G-Data BUT nowhere is listed how to buy; I did play around with adding 100MB a day data to my phone and it was instant buy had to do it on the website; login then visit: https://my-tmobile.com/Plan/Plans.as...vid=changeplan (and only under Change Plan, Data) HOPING T-MOBILE fixes this

* Caveat: if you use the http://t-mo.co/4G-Data link - if you view this VIA Wifi connected to a T-Mobile hotspot it will show info for the hotspot only NOT for your phone as it uses the IP/APN Auth and your phone isn't using data if you are connected via a T-Mobile hotspot


- 300MB Hotspot package or data package is showing up as 200MB! I reported this to support. All info before purchase shows it as 300MB, however once paid it will show as 200MB - left hand meet right hand... I'm chasing T-Mobile for a credit on this one.

- You can check current usage on any paid packages here: (BOOKMARK THIS)
http://ma.web2go.com/home.do No login needed as this goes through APN/Device auth. You can pick the phone and see "Detailed Usage" Example on mine shown in image



- Hoping TMO can add SMS short codes or USD codes to activate packages to make it easier than Web; e.g. send #10500# or something like that to add 500MB package