SilverFox - like I said earlier, EDGE is just the 2.5 version of the GSM standard. What you're not connecting to is 3G (HSPDA/UMTS). Is it possible that Orange requires you to be on a 3G signal to access their BB servers...

Would be a US thing then as they don't in the UK, I have a client who does not live in a 3G area and yet the Berry worked there fine.

Never heard of that, and it is highly unlikely that it is the issue. 3G is not everywhere in the US, so by that theory Blackberry devices on Orange would only work in major cities. To the Blackberry (and their servers) there is zero difference between an operator on GPRS, EDGE or 3G.

No - this is all about Orange having issues with their authentication servers.

Many European 3g devices only run on Edge in the US. Until the Nokia E72, most E series phones were either Euro or US 3g, but not both.

No I don't think so, it has worked fine on my previous trips.

For now I am giving up on it and we will see what happens when I return next. If, as they say, they have been having trouble with their servers then I am hoping that is it.

I am still totally unimpressed with the number of different stories that the call centre seems to make up on a whim in the hope you go away. Cheap it might be, crap it certainly is.

Today's story via emails (13 of them so far) is:

And when asked for details of where I might find this documented the computer said:

And then another computer a little later said:

And I am waiting for the answer to this question wrt point 7) which I think they see as the "solution" to my problem as to what this means:

"Any data roaming outside the UK will be charged at the standard PAYG roaming data charges."

My assumption is that I can get emails but will have to pay extra. All in all I have better things to do with my day.

Orange really is hopeless. I made the mistake of purchasing a subscription in France. Even in France, the company is hopeless, as many French people will verify.

Stay away from this company.

I agree with you, but it is a pity. Orange UK used to be a much better company.

It really did. I forget where the call centre was but they were always helpful and knew their stuff. Rightly or wrongly as soon as I get through to an Indian call centre my heart sinks as I know that in my experience the likeliehood of getting an honest answer and my problem fixed is next to nil. I am off to the USA in a couple of weeks and cannot wait to fire the phone up to see if it was the "Blackberry servers are down for PAYG roaming" or the "No Blackberry PAYG in the USA ever" excuse that wins.

Welcome to FT!

Given I'm a miser when it comes to paying for telecoms I only ever use my 'Berry via wifi when abroad and I therefore avoid roaming charges like the plague. My main beef with Orange is the coverage is Sh*t and I'm hoping that the merger with T-Mobile will help sort this out.

£5 a month for 'Berry service seems a steal to me and they will be stopping it over my dead body. There customer service ain't great but nothing like as bad as the BT mob in India that I recently spent 30+ minutes on the phone to, sorting out the small matter of the wrong discount being applied. Just wish they would announce that they were bringing out the 9100 to Orange.

When I returned to the US from the UK in 2002, I moved my Orange contract subscription to Orange OVP Virgin (now discontinued). I'm still hanging on to that because it is a good deal and easy. I left a couple of hundred quid in my UK bank account, changed the account address to a friend's flat, and have my mobile, Oyster, and a UK debit card for when I hit the ground. It makes me still feel like a native.

Just an update. I moved to O2 Simplicity pay monthly and for £10 per month I get 300 minutes, unlimited texts, unlimited wifi and Blackberry email - and more importantly emails/data while I am in the USA. A happy ending for me as it works out a much better deal currently than Orange.

Great that you have a better/working deal. I'll be testing my berry again in the USA next month via Wifi (I'm a cheapskate), so hopefully Orange have fixed everything. I had an O2 lady suggest that very contract to me when I was on the phone to them about a clients phone contract and she almost had me signed up. I was dissuaded when I realised that it was double what I was paying Orange for Berry service and I wouldn't use the minutes on the BlackBerry as I have a different phone for calls.

Well this French person is quite happy with Orange. I don't know about Orange UK, but my French Orange iPhone service roams very well in Europe, Africa and the US. I haven't tried it in Asia yet.