ATT (U.S.) has unlimited intl. data plan for $64.99

[snidely]

Originally Posted by Stu

. The Blackberry is a great callback trigger and my experience with VOIP over 3g has been mixed. What I need to do is buy Vlad an expensive dinner and get a "tune up."

Stu - I don't understand the above statement. Please enlighten this dense person.
I am not overseas that much - maybe 4-6 weeks a year. I keep my T-Mobile service because (1) their UMA "free" roaming capability (2) The unlimited BBerry email for 67 cents/day while out of country. I make sure I don't dl data.
However, there have been posts on HowardForums where BB users get data by deleting the default APN so that everything is routed thru RIM's servers. They claim they haven't been charged for data by doing that. (I think I have explained this accurately.) I will make a test when in Columbia the middle of Feb. Much of the time I will have wifi access, I believe.

...mike

In the last 10 years, long distance in the U.S. really has ceased to exist. Virtually all calls within the U.S. are "local". In the last few years calls between most first world countries are almost free. I assume, in the future, calls anywhere will be "free". I believe many (most?) calls are now carried as data packets. We can send volumes of data around the world for "free" - why not voice?
The only "problem" I see is that we in the U.S. and Canada are spoiled by cheap land and cell costs. Unlimited incoming and outgoing voice for $50-$70. Unlimited data for $20-$30 more. Overseas, people have to spend mega dollars/Euros etc. to account for the cost of incoming calls. It seems strange that it costs a caller in London, Madrid, and everywhere else 5 to 10 times more to call a cell phone 1 km away that it does to call my cell in the U.S.
That's why, in the U.S., the number of landlines has drastically fallen the past several years. Individual households are going cellular only.

[adam917]

Originally Posted by snidely

Stu - I don't understand the above statement. Please enlighten this dense person.
I am not overseas that much - maybe 4-6 weeks a year. I keep my T-Mobile service because (1) their UMA "free" roaming capability (2) The unlimited BBerry email for 67 cents/day while out of country. I make sure I don't dl data.
However, there have been posts on HowardForums where BB users get data by deleting the default APN so that everything is routed thru RIM's servers. They claim they haven't been charged for data by doing that. (I think I have explained this accurately.) I will make a test when in Columbia the middle of Feb. Much of the time I will have wifi access, I believe.

...mike

In the last 10 years, long distance in the U.S. really has ceased to exist. Virtually all calls within the U.S. are "local". In the last few years calls between most first world countries are almost free. I assume, in the future, calls anywhere will be "free". I believe many (most?) calls are now carried as data packets. We can send volumes of data around the world for "free" - why not voice?
The only "problem" I see is that we in the U.S. and Canada are spoiled by cheap land and cell costs. Unlimited incoming and outgoing voice for $50-$70. Unlimited data for $20-$30 more. Overseas, people have to spend mega dollars/Euros etc. to account for the cost of incoming calls. It seems strange that it costs a caller in London, Madrid, and everywhere else 5 to 10 times more to call a cell phone 1 km away that it does to call my cell in the U.S.
That's why, in the U.S., the number of landlines has drastically fallen the past several years. Individual households are going cellular only.

Well aren't the high rates outside NA to call mobile phones due to their calling party pays system (as opposed to the bill & keep in the US & Canada)? Wouldn't that explain it at least partially? The high rates themselves may explain why SMS caught on long before it did in the US.