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T Mobile Global data coverage

Old Oct 23, 13, 2:25 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: diburning
This is a user-maintained wiki — FlyerTalkers with at least 90 posts and 90 days of membership may modify and update this information.
Please edit available network carriers or LTE networks if you find the information below is out of date.

Effective August 1st, 2018 :OPTIONAL high speed data roaming for international (non Canada/Mexico) has changed to be $5 USD per day for up to 512MB of high speed data per day. This also includes unlimited inbound and outbound calls avoiding the 25c a min call charge. You can add this via 611 or this link: https://my.t-mobile.com/odf/DataPass:ALL - It is labeled as "24 Hour Global Pass". If that link doesn't works go to "Manage Data & Add Ons" in plan settings at http://my.t-mobile.com . A pass covers ANY countries in the given validity period - NOT just one country. So if you travel within multiple countries in the 24 hour period you get a max of 512MB of high speed data and unlimited calling across ALL countries prior to pass expiration. This is OPTIONAL and is not required, free 128Kb/sec or 256Kb/sec speeds are provided for users who don't pay for this extra data pack.

Effective July 15th, 2018: Calling rates for inbound and outbound calls were raised to 25c a min from the prior 20c a min when roaming internationally. You can buy a per Intl High Speed day pass for 512MB of high speed data that also includes calling at no cost during the validity of the pass.


Effective Feb 17, 2017: T-Mobile has bumped up speeds to 256Kb/sec for T-Mobile One users - this was FREE for a promotional period and required you to edit the lines with this plan to add the free or higher tier paid "T-Mobile One Plus" line item. The free line item is "T-Mobile One Plus promo" which will allow that line to be 256kb/sec and will also give 10GB of LTE North America hotspot tethering - The change can be done at my.t-mobile.com under plan for T-Mobile One customers or through 611. With the promotional period ended you can add the base $5 T-Mobile One Plus item to get 256Kb/sec

SUMMARY: T-Mobile USA on Simple Choice or newer plans (such as Select Choice) or T-Mobile One that list "Free International Roaming included" allow for free data and SMS in 210+ countries. Data and SMS is FREE; voice calls; inbound or outbound to any of the 210+ countries while roaming are 25 cents a min. Free data is NOT offered on T-Mobile essentials users outside of Canada/Mexico while SMS and 25c a min calls are still offered.

Canada and Mexico include FREE high speed roaming (HSPA or LTE full speed) as long as you are on the Simple Choice North America plan or a T-Mobile One plan. A monthly cap of 5GB for International High speed data in Canada and Mexico is now present - data will slow to lower speeds with no overage charges. Users on T-Mobile One Plus International are exempt from this 5GB cap.

You must be on a Postpaid plan, Prepay is NOT eligible nor is MetroPCS

NOTE: Devices with fully FREE data (e.g. 200MB free for tablets) and not on an additional plan are NOT eligible - switch those devices to a supported plan PRIOR to travel or you will be charged per MB fees.

WARNING: Highly suggest going to: https://my.t-mobile.com/profile.html (or login to my.t-mobile.com select profile), go to blocking and ensure "Block charge international roaming" is set to ON - keep "Ensure Block International Roaming" is set to OFF otherwise roaming will not work even in free data countries. This will ensure in countries where you are close to another country border that may NOT be part of free data roaming you will never be charged for data by ending up roaming on the adjacent country network if your phone is set to Automatic on networks.

WARNING FOR HIGH SPEED ADD ON $5 DATA PASS: Ensure you know your end date/time and heed the SMS warnings sent. You will be liable for 25c a min per call inbound or outbound if the pass expires and you do not activate another pass. Ensure you purchase another daily pass before making phone calls. As of Early August 2018, there was no method to purchase multiple days in a row.


T-Mobile FAQ:
http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-9455

Checklist for Roaming - follow this prior to leaving!:
http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-2182

Performance:
Speeds are throttled to 128Kb/sec on all supported plans, except for T-Mobile One Plus Add on (includes the Promo Feb 2017 T-Mobile One update with free One Plus Promo) which is 256Kb/sec. Connecting to the best network type possible will ensure you hitting these speeds limits (e.g. LTE). Performance is subject to the roaming carrier networks condition (is it congested or not) and how good the back-haul from the roaming carrier back to T-Mobile is. Reminder that T-Mobile Essentials users will have NO access to free data.

Filtering:
Your connection is terminated back to the US, so anything that works on T-Mobile US will continue to work. Example: China filters social media and Google services, using these services through your T-Mobile line won't experience this networking filtering. Local services in the country you are in MAY identify you as being in the US - any services that do IP geolocation will see that you are in the US.

Optional High Speed On Demand Data Passes with unlimited calling
If you want performance that is beyond the 128Kb/sec (or 256Kb/sec on T-Mobile One Plus Add ons) then a PAID optional high speed data pass removes the throttling performance limit. Effective Aug 2018 this pass is a $5 PER day for 512MB of high speed data (per day) and unlimited calling to allowed countries, waiving the 25c per min charge for inbound or outbound calls. To add, go to: https://my.t-mobile.com/odf/DataPass:ALL and add the "24 Hour Global Pass". If that link doesn't work add at http://my-t-mobile.com under Plan, "Manage Data & Add Ons" More information: http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-7261 NOTE: As of Early August 2018 you can only purchase one day at a time, so be cautious on expiration (Notified via SMS) to add another day pass to avoid getting charged 25c per phone call. A pass covers ANY countries in the given validity period - NOT just one country. So if you travel within multiple countries in the 24 hour period you get a max of 512MB of high speed data and unlimited calling across ALL countries prior to pass expiration.

Country search:
https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/roaming

Country List at time of July 2018 update:
https://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-37944

NOTE: there is no T-Mobile provided list of specific network roaming partners; you can call 611 and ask for a roaming specialist/tech and they can tell you per country roaming partners - we are attempting to capture working or problematic networks in this Wiki below also

Need Support while traveling? Read the hints below FIRST; then if support is needed call direct intl support for T-Mobile USA: +1-505-998-3793 [FREE CALL WHILE ROAMING] or if you cannot get Voice access use Skype or another service to dial.


Hints

#1 HINT: You MUST have Data roaming turned on - You will only see foreign networks on the network list - you will NOT see T-Mobile. Manually pick the networks from the list further below if you don't automatically connect.

- You do NOT have to pay for a high speed data package. 128Kb/sec (or 256Kb/sec on T-Mobile One Plus Add on) FREE throttled data is inclusive on all eligible postpaid plans

- High speed un-throttled data is also FREE for Canada and Mexico if you are on a Simple Choice North America plan or a T-Mobile One plan for up to 5GB of data per month (T-Mobile One Plus Intl users are not subject to the 5GB cap) . If you are not on these specific plans but on a legacy Simple Choice plan you will get standard 128Kb/sec FREE.

- For paid high speed packages, You can schedule WHEN optional high speed paid packages start (immediate or a time/date you set).

- On some accounts, High speed on demand data passes will will not be listed on my.t-mobile.com - under plans, "Manage Data & Add Ons". You can also contact customer care at 611 to add a data pass.

- If you purchase a package on phone or hotspot and are 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 200Mb for one week and will eat into 200Mb, 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.

- On Demand Mifi WILL not roam at ALL if no package has ever been provisioned. Use the free data on your smartphone (or use another device with WiFi) 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

- 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.

- Legacy data match for tablets or hotspots (no longer offered but still allowed for current users) support 128Kb/sec on tablets and hotspots. If your data match plan details show match with North America added in the description then you get high speed in Canada and Mexico that uses your data match limit (up to 5GB) - after than you revert to 128Kb/sec. T-Mobile One Tablet will provide 128Kb/sec by default, if a T-Mobile One Plus add on is on that Tablet line (Including the free Feb 2017 One Plus Promo) speeds will be 256Kb/sec

- You can check current usage on any paid packages my viewing on the T-Mobile Application for Android or iOS or going to My T-Mobile website and filtering data usage on the line for International Data Roaming.

- When using a T-Mobile supported international data roaming plan on an iOS device internationally (in a nation on the 'free' list), you need to turn on Data Roaming on the iPhone/iPad Settings.

Troubleshooting

- If finding no networks when in new country, go to Airplane Mode - then back off Airplane mode and try again. If this fails to work FULLY power off phone and power back on. You may need to do a manual scan of networks on your device and pick one of the KNOWN networks below in the country list.

- If still not connecting to a network do ONE more phone reboot and attempt again.

- If you do connect to a network but are failing to get data, dial in your phone dialer #RON# (or try #ROF# FIRST then try #RON#). #RON# will turn intl roaming data on, #ROF# will turn it off. Sometimes cycling will cause a network to work.

- If connected to a network for Voice/SMS but still not getting data, set phone to Airplane mode ; wait till device is actually in airplane mode (15 sec or so); then take device off Airplane mode.

- If failing to get GSM/Voice/SMS services but you have data and phone shows "Emergency Calls Only" but data is working suggestion is to switch phone to 2G and connect to a network where you get data and voice/SMS. Once connected to that network switch phone back to 3G/Auto or LTE (or similar setting) and this may correct the issue. (Your mileage may vary)

- Try to change your APN to fast.t-mobile.com per the following guide, as an alternate you can try a temporary switch to epc.t-mobile.com - more details for APN change further below

- If none of these work, dial TMO Intl support +1-505-998-3793 (from another phone or Skype) and ask for "International Roaming Support" (make sure that is who they connect you to by asking the agent if they can help on a roaming support issue) - have them check your account is properly setup and eligible for International Roaming.

To set the Access Point Name (APN) and turn on data settings, follow these steps:

Note: These settings are automatically set to the correct values with the Carrier Update when a T-Mobile SIM is inserted.
  1. From the main menu, tap Settings
  2. Tap Cellular.
  3. Check that Cellular Data is turned on.
  4. Tap Cellular Data Network.
    Important: If this setting does not appear on the device, the device is not unlocked. Refer customer to previous carrier.
  5. Enter the following information under the Cellular Data section:
    APN: fast.t-mobile.com
    Username: <Leave Blank>
    Password: <Leave Blank>
  6. Enter the following information under the LTE Setup (Optional) section:
    APN: <Leave Blank>
    Username: <Leave Blank>
    Password: <Leave Blank>
  7. Enter the following information under the MMS section:
    APN: fast.t-mobile.com
    Username: <Leave Blank>
    Password: <Leave Blank>
    MMSC: http://mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc
    MMS Proxy: <Leave Blank>
    MMS Max Message Size: 1048576
    MMS UA Prof URL: http://www.apple.com/mms/uaprof.rdf
  8. Enter the following information under the Personal Hotspot section:
    APN: pcweb.tmobile.com
    Username: <Leave Blank>
    Password: <Leave Blank>
  9. Press the Home button to save the APN and exit to the main screen.
  10. Turn the device off and back on.

Countries with reported working networks supporting data
You can call support # below to ask for other networks. PLEASE share which networks works so we can always keep the Wiki up to date. Leave any comments with performance/quality to the "Problem Carriers section"

NOTE: If you have issues connecting turn off "Enable LTE" or LTE and do 3G/HSPA(4G) only. If you are still having issues to get data but can get voice dial Intl support +1-505-998-3793 (FREE CALL while roaming). If you cannot get any service, use another phone or Skype to dial this number.

Africa
Egypt: Vodafone, Elitsalat, Mobinil
Mauritius: EMTEL
South Africa: MTN, Vodacom, Telkom

Americas
Argentina: Movistar, Claro
Aruba: Digicel (May display as 363 02)
Bahamas: BTC
Barbados: Digicel
Bermuda: Digicel
Brazil: Tim, Vivo
Canada: Bell, Rogers (Some Provinces only), Telus, Freedom Mobile (former WIND), Videotron [HIGH SPEED INCLUDED ON SIMPLE CHOICE NORTH AMERICA]
Cayman Islands: Digicel
Chile: Movistar
Colombia: Telefonica Mobiles Colombia, Movistar
Costa Rica: Movistar, Claro
Dominican Republic: Claro, Orange, Viva
Ecuador: Claro, Movistar
El Salvador: Digicel, Movistar
Guatemala: Movistar
Honduras: Tigo
Jamaica: Digicel, Lime
México: Movistar, Telcel [HIGH SPEED INCLUDED ON SIMPLE CHOICE NORTH AMERICA]
Martinique: Digicel
Nicaragua: Mobinil, Movistar
Panama: Claro, Digicel
Perú: Movistar
St Kitts and Nevis: Digicel
St Lucia: Digicel
Sint Maarten (NL): Chippie (UTS)
Saint Martin (FR): Digicel
Turks and Caicos: Digicel
US Virgin Islands: Innovative (counts toward domestic roaming allowance)
Venezuela: Movistar

Asia Pacific
Australia: Telstra, Vodafone AU, OPTUS
Cambodia: CamGSM, Cellcard, Smart
China: China Mobile, China Unicom
Guam: Guam Telecom (Guam is considered outside the U.S. by T-Mobile)
Hong Kong: Smartone, Three
India: Airtel (Most Metro areas/regions), Vodafone
Indonesia (Bali): Indosat, Telkomsel
Japan: DOCOMO, Softbank
Macau: CTM, Three, Smartone
Malaysia: MAXIS
New Zealand: Vodafone, Spark NZ (no 2G), 2Degrees
Pakistan: Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (Ufone), Pakistan Mobile Company Limited (PMCL) (aka Mobilink), Telenor Pakistan, Warid Telecom
Philippines: Globe, SMART
Singapore: Starhub
South Korea: SKT, KT, Olleh
Sri Lanka: Mobitel
Taiwan: Taiwan Mobile
Thailand: AIS, DTAC
Vietnam: Viettel

Europe
Austria: Three, A1, T-Mobile Austria
Belgium: Orange (Mobistar), Proximus
Bulgaria: Telenor BG LTE is primary, saw A1 on 2g and Mtel on LTE very briefly
Czech Republic: Radiomobile/T-Mobile CZ, Vodafone CZ, O2
Denmark: 3 DK, Telenor DK
Faroe Islands: Foroya Tele
Finland: Elisa
France: Bouygues, Free, Orange, SFR
Germany: T-Mobile DE/Telekom.de, EPLUS
Greece: Cosmote
Hungary: T-Mobile
Iceland: Nova (LTE, better in cities), Siminn (3G only, better for rural)
Ireland: Vodafone, Three, Meteor
Italy: TIM, Wind, Vodafone IT
Luxembourg: Tango
Netherlands: KPN, T-Mobile, Vodafone
Norway: Telenor
Poland: T-Mobile
Portugal: MEO, NOS
Romania: Orange, Telekom, Vodafone
Russia: MTS Global
Spain: Movistar, Vodafone ES, Orange
Sweden: 3 SE
Switzerland: Orange, Swisscom
Turkey: Vodafone
UK: EE, Three, Vodafone
Ukraine: KYIVSTAR, MTS

Middle East/Near East
Bahrain: Viva / Batelco
Israel: Partner
Kuwait: Zain
Qatar: Ooredoo
UAE: Etisalat, du

LTE verified carriers:
MUST have a device supporting global LTE bands
- Argentina: Movistar
- Australia: Telstra (requires Band 3 / Band 28 device), OPTUS (5G)
- Bahamas: BTC
- Bahrain: Batelco
- Belgium: Proximus
- Canada: Bell, Rogers, Telus
- Chile: Movistar
- China: China Mobile (TD-LTE in some regions needs appropriate device or in some regions as LTE Band 3), China Unicom
- Colombia: Movistar
- Costa Rica: Movistar
- France: Orange, SFR
- Germany: T-Mobile DE/Telekom.de
- Guatemala: Movistar
- Hong Kong: Smartone
- Ireland: Vodafone
- Italy: TIM
- Japan: Docomo, Softbank
- Luxembourg: Tango
- Malaysia: MAXIS
- Mexico: Movistar
- Netherlands: T-Mobile NL, Vodafone
- Norway: Telenor
- Sinagapore: Starhub
- Sint Maarten (NL): Chippie (UTS)
- Spain: Orange
- Taiwan: Taiwan Mobile
- Thailand: AIS, DTAC
- UAE: du
- UK: EE, Vodafone (see footnote - NOT everywhere)

Problem carriers and LTE support notes
(Do not list carriers where you cannot get basic voice service)
- Argentina: Movistar (reports of poor performance), Claro (seemed much better, but difficult to gain initial connect/registration)
- Bermuda: Reports of getting UMTS (non HSPA 3G) only
- Canada: Wind performance seems better than other Canadian carriers (Your mileage may vary)
- China: China Mobile is 2G only unless you have a device supporting TD-SCDMA (3G) or TD-LTE Band 39/40/41. China Unicom roaming returned in April 2017
- Faroe Islands: Vodafone (Voice/SMS only, NO data service)
- Germany: Vodafone Germany (Voice/SMS only, NO data service in some regions)
- Hong Kong: Smartone, had to switch to 2G get access to network THEN switched phone back to 3G/Automatic if had problems getting access to network. Three: Reports of no longer working and only Smartone working
- Mauritius: Reports of issues connecting to Emtel sometimes - YMMV
- New Zealand: 2Degrees (limited coverage w/ reports of not working at all)
- Singapore: M1, SMS MAY require manually entering M1's SMSC +6596845999 if SMS doesn't work
- South Korea: SKT may require LTE to be disabled or conneciton may not be authenticated. Olleh/KT require multiple attempts to connect to network.
- UK: EE LTE roaming returned 1/21/17 - Reports of Vodafone LTE roaming in select parts of the UK only (not happening everywhere seems to be coverage challenged areas of EE only)
- Vietnam: Viettel
Print Wikipost

T Mobile Global data coverage

Old Oct 22, 14, 11:53 pm
  #571  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Traveling the World
Posts: 5,959
I switched with the rest of my family from MetroPCS to TMobile. I got my Nokia 521 unlocked as well as my Fathers. We're on the Simple Choice Family plan for $120 we get 4 lines. The package includes unlimited texting,data internationally in the selected countries(which is a lot).

The incoming and outgoing calls are 20 cents a minute in the countries that are covered by the plan. Also the WiFi Calling incurs no charge.

All we do is check email and use the GPS for the data and use any streaming via WiFi. So the data speed is enough.

Plus T-Mobile gave us a free WiFi Extender since service was not working in our home and now it works.

To be able to keep the same phone# and access data without WiFi is a godsend. If I wanted the higher speed I would pay more. But considering you go to a store and purchase a SIM Card and load the minutes it can add up.

Here we have one bill and that is that. I will let you know how it works. Also TMobile has free Texting with GoGo inflight as well as being able to check your voicemails while in the air using Visual Voicemail.
danielonn is offline  
Old Oct 23, 14, 4:33 am
  #572  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP; BoNVoY Tit LTP
Posts: 1,883
Originally Posted by NickP 1K View Post
Thanks, so you're confirming both TIM and Tre worked? Please confirm back and I'll put them in the wiki
Yes. My phone seemed to choose Tre more frequently. When I am back in December I will verify if Vodaphone and or the other carrier can be used (I wasn't aware of this wiki and was not fully paying attention last trip).
ckendall is offline  
Old Oct 23, 14, 6:08 am
  #573  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 3,317
Anyone have an experience getting T-M to wave the 40 day unlock probationary period?

It sounded like my CSR was about to give, put me on hold, then at the last second said no.

Wondering if anyone has experience to the contrary?
pricesquire is offline  
Old Oct 23, 14, 9:08 am
  #574  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 5,375
Originally Posted by pricesquire View Post
Anyone have an experience getting T-M to wave the 40 day unlock probationary period?

It sounded like my CSR was about to give, put me on hold, then at the last second said no.

Wondering if anyone has experience to the contrary?
If you have international travel, you need to have made at least two monthly charges. Otherwise the rules are 40 days of active service on the line and two unlocks per year per line of service.
Majuki is offline  
Old Oct 23, 14, 5:59 pm
  #575  
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: SoCal to the rest of the world...
Programs: AA EXP with lots of BA. UA 2MM Lifetime Plat - No longer chase hotel loyalty
Posts: 6,666
Originally Posted by pricesquire View Post
Anyone have an experience getting T-M to wave the 40 day unlock probationary period?

It sounded like my CSR was about to give, put me on hold, then at the last second said no.

Wondering if anyone has experience to the contrary?
Suggestion here is to just use an older unlocked handset (if you have one) with a local SIM and use Tethering until you can meet the 40 day, 2 pay cycle to have TMO unlock you. If you haven't used the TMO free data it's quite usable for basic email/web/social media needs. If you need higher speed than either do a high speed add on pack or as you are suggesting use a local SIM but on another device.

Side note for me: I've been fine lately with just T-Mobile US free data and adding the $9.95 boingo wifi on my phone - seem to be finding Wifi on Boingo in MANY places I'm travelling when I'm stationary.
NickP 1K is offline  
Old Oct 23, 14, 7:03 pm
  #576  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: AA-Million Miles++, Pan Am, Eastern, Asia Miles, True Blue, IHG Spire, Emirates, APEC & Global Entry
Posts: 115
Hi folks
Happy user tmob for a year with lg d801. Wife with older nexus not so happy, so phones matter. Successful use in hong kong, shenzhen, seoul and nyc to maryland, los angeles and sf.

Anyway, recently checked with tmob and my phone can be a mobile hotspot. You can tether to it physically or by wifi and get internet to other devices. No added cost if within the 1gb limit.

I was about to buy a mifi for my samsung tablet. Now no need. Fab!
Cyllabus is offline  
Old Oct 24, 14, 5:35 pm
  #577  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 36
Originally Posted by tai4de2 View Post
Roaming worked in both Iceland and the Faroe Islands this past weekend (10/17/2014-10/20/2014). I had purchased a data pass and got good speeds in both locations -- definitely higher than 2G and very usable for everything I use my phone for. I was even able to successfully tether my tablet through the connection.

In Iceland, I roamed onto Nova. There were occasional periods of outage or spottiness but overall it worked well enough.

Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 on both Lumia 925 and 1020, automatic network selection.
You used T-Mobile in Iceland? Can you please clarify about the data pass--I was under the impression it was unlimited data/text and .20/minute in Iceland with T-Mobile, no extras required. thanks!
besttravelgear is offline  
Old Oct 24, 14, 6:36 pm
  #578  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,664
Originally Posted by besttravelgear View Post
You used T-Mobile in Iceland? Can you please clarify about the data pass--I was under the impression it was unlimited data/text and .20/minute in Iceland with T-Mobile, no extras required. thanks!
Simple choice gives you unlimited amounts of data, but limited speeds of 2G or less. You can buy pass that lets you get higher speeds in groups of 1 day/100MB, 1 week/ 200MB and 2 week/ 500MB.
ROCAT is offline  
Old Oct 24, 14, 10:09 pm
  #579  
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 36
Originally Posted by ROCAT View Post
Simple choice gives you unlimited amounts of data, but limited speeds of 2G or less. You can buy pass that lets you get higher speeds in groups of 1 day/100MB, 1 week/ 200MB and 2 week/ 500MB.
So...is 2G super slow? Believe it or not, I just ordered my first smartphone (iPhone 6+ still waiting) and I haven't figured this stuff out yet. But the reason I chose TMobile was specifically for the international perks. Can you buy the pass right from the phone? Any idea how much it costs? I'm guessing it's probably not necessary for texting? If anyone has any recommendations for me, I'm listening. Will be in Germany, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, and Iceland (all on their list). Thanks for the input.
besttravelgear is offline  
Old Oct 25, 14, 8:34 am
  #580  
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: SoCal to the rest of the world...
Programs: AA EXP with lots of BA. UA 2MM Lifetime Plat - No longer chase hotel loyalty
Posts: 6,666
Originally Posted by besttravelgear View Post
So...is 2G super slow? Believe it or not, I just ordered my first smartphone (iPhone 6+ still waiting) and I haven't figured this stuff out yet. But the reason I chose TMobile was specifically for the international perks. Can you buy the pass right from the phone? Any idea how much it costs? I'm guessing it's probably not necessary for texting? If anyone has any recommendations for me, I'm listening. Will be in Germany, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, and Iceland (all on their list). Thanks for the input.
Please see the Wiki at the top of this posting; the free data is 128Kb/sec and packages are listed

It's VERY usable unless you are doing video or multimedia streaming. It's a bit slow for image intensive apps; but uploads are actually bursting quicker than 128Kb/sec (e.g posts to Facebook or Instagram, etc)

I would stick with the FREE data and if during the trip you want to upgrade to a higher speed PAID pass; you can go to this URL on the phone:
http://t-mo.co/4G-Data You do NOT have to do it in advance and if you activate on the phone it activates right away.

This link will take you to where you can buy the data packs. They are ENTIRELY optional for higher speed data.
NickP 1K is offline  
Old Oct 30, 14, 9:11 am
  #581  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Left Coast
Posts: 843
Originally Posted by zcat18 View Post
I've successfully accessed T-mobile sister networks--voice and data--in the following countries not on the Wiki. Just found this thread, so I don't remember the names of most of the networks. Others will have to fill in that info, but the service does work at no additional charge in these countries:

Indonesia
Israel: Orange; CH
Singapore
Korea
Would you elaborate regarding T-Mobile in Korea? Any problems, or complaints? Did you make/receive calls, or just use it for data?
zippy the pinhead is offline  
Old Oct 30, 14, 3:43 pm
  #582  
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: SoCal to the rest of the world...
Programs: AA EXP with lots of BA. UA 2MM Lifetime Plat - No longer chase hotel loyalty
Posts: 6,666
Originally Posted by zippy the pinhead View Post
Would you elaborate regarding T-Mobile in Korea? Any problems, or complaints? Did you make/receive calls, or just use it for data?
Works fine

I can't recall if it roams onto KT or SKT

I'm their Monday so will update the wiki on what works
NickP 1K is offline  
Old Oct 30, 14, 5:26 pm
  #583  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Houston
Programs: UA
Posts: 289
Originally Posted by NickP 1K View Post
Works fine

I can't recall if it roams onto KT or SKT

I'm their Monday so will update the wiki on what works
I'm in Seoul. I've only been able to connect to SKT. On my iPhone 5s, data didn't work until I disabled LTE. Speeds are fine for basic browsing, but I'm unable to reliably stream music from Google Play.
txrandom is offline  
Old Oct 30, 14, 7:19 pm
  #584  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Houston
Posts: 282
I am currently connected in Japan Docomo network, couple of weeks ago I was connected to Vietnam network "vinaphone" if I remember well and next week I will tried in Qatar.

The country is listed in the T-Mobile website but is not included in the WIKI. once I get connection I will give some updates...

This weekend I will try Houston coverage
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Old Oct 30, 14, 7:43 pm
  #585  
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: LAX, SAN, ORD, MAA & COK
Programs: AA EXP 6 MM, AC, DL (MM) & Lifetime SC; All Airlines 10+MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 747
I've used the T-Mobile roaming service extensively while traveling in India and even with 2G speeds I was able to use the Google maps for navigation without a problem. Most of the time I was roaming on AirTel.

I preloaded the Google maps for the areas I needed navigation assistance.

Email was also not a problem as long as I did not send or receive large attachments. The 2 G speeds were not an issue while on the road and where I needed larger bandwidth I used Wi-Fi connections.
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