Database Develop

[Q] Caught Red Handed - Data Plan

Was there a way around this: Didn't have a smartphone before so I had a fifteen dollar "unlimited" plan. Then bought the captivate sans contract off ebay. Received a text this morning that I was switched to an appropriate limited smartphone data plan.
What really irks me is I haven't been using AT&T's data! I've been strictly wi-fi at the house since putting the SIM in.
Was that the sound of inevitability since they know the IMEIs of all Captivates? Or would rooting / custom mod helped? I hate being forced into the age of data caps.

AT&T's policy is if it's a smartphone you have to have a data plan.. period..
And yes, they know if you are using one by the IMEI.
Sucks yes.. and not much you can do. I had a Tilt for a long time without a plan and lived quite nicely by just using wifi.. ahh.. those were the days..!!

You may be eligible to be grandfathered in and keep your plan. Call 611 and ask for the cancellation department (I think they refer to themselves as "Customer Relations/Care/whatever") and let them know you aren't happy and why. Can't hurt to try, right?

I doubt seriously that you'll be able to keep your MediaNet plan. Most of us think that data is data is data, but not where AT&T is concerned. They tend to place this magical premium on smartphone data in the name of maximizing revenue.
If you don't use more than 200 mb a month then the $15 plan should be fine. If you think you'll use more, which is very likely with these phones, you'll want to get the 2gb plan.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I won a Samsung Epix a year ago and signed up for the MediaNet plan on my old feature phone. I swapped in the SIM, and I have been on $15 unlimited data ever since. This is a WinMo smartphone, and they have never caught on.

You have a pretty good argument if you bought the phone from e-bay. AT&T didn't subsidize your phone and you didn't agree to any plan changes. You just have to call them on their BS be firm but polite and see where you get. You should also check your account and see if they actually changed it. I received one of those text messages too but still have my mediamax plan.
Charging different $$ amounts for the same thing simply because you MIGHT use more is absurd. Hopefully one day they'll be called out on price fixing along with the other cellular carriers. Data IS data, just because you consume it using a smartphone instead of a dumbphone or a laptop doesn't make it any different or more costly for them. Data plan prices are a subject that will instantly send me into a frenzy.

Yeah, I might just let them win this one. Was using a Nokia E71 on the MediaMax and they were never the wiser. I guess this will end my long run with AT&T.
I absolutely love this Captivate and will hate to part with it...but because of their "smartphone" logic I'll be switching carriers within 6 months (as soon as T-mo has a good android HSPA+ or Metro has a good LTE). In the meantime I'll be wary of the 200 MB limit and use lots of wifi.
Thanks for the input! I love discussing corporate cents (non-sense)

ScottyNuttz said:
I won a Samsung Epix a year ago and signed up for the MediaNet plan on my old feature phone. I swapped in the SIM, and I have been on $15 unlimited data ever since. This is a WinMo smartphone, and they have never caught on.
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You were grandfathered in. Before september 09 you could easily switch plans. They restricted this and customers who had already done it now have a smart phone exclusion soc code on their account.
Essentially if you had already cheated the system your grandfathered. If you hadn't then youre screwed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

ag4vr said:
Most of us think that data is data is data, but not where AT&T is concerned. They tend to place this magical premium on smartphone data in the name of maximizing revenue.
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Isn't it obvious? Bits and bytes and packets that go to a smartphone device are inherently more expensive to produce and transmit than bits and bytes and packets that go to a "feature" phone!

nbohmer said:
Essentially if you had already cheated the system your grandfathered. If you hadn't then youre screwed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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Damn... maybe I should buy w/o a new contract then...

ScottyNuttz said:
Damn... maybe I should buy w/o a new contract then...
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Won't matter. If you use the captivate on ATT at all they will add the $15 plan to your account.

dontshakepandas said:
Won't matter. If you use the captivate on ATT at all they will add the $15 plan to your account.
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This is true. But once you're on a smartphone plan, it doesn't really matter which one. FWIW, I am running my Captivate on my Blackberry Enterprise Plan. They insisted it wouldn't work but it does. I often switch between a Bold 9700, 3GS and the Captivate for testing purposes on the same SIM. All work on the same account.

You can call em and they may credit you back the money and take the plan off your account, but next month it will just go right back on...its a completely automatic system and they don't currently have a way to override that from happening.

they are doing this with all smartphones now. Once I got my captivate, I gave my old Fuze to my little brother. Within a day, AT&T had signed him up for a data plan. I had bought my phone subsidized from AT&T and had it with them up until the release date of the captivate without a problem, but as soon as my brother put his SIM card in the phone, AT&T decided it was a smartphone... They also charged the $18 upgrade fee too, which I thought was f***ing obnoxious...

ag4vr said:
I doubt seriously that you'll be able to keep your MediaNet plan. Most of us think that data is data is data, but not where AT&T is concerned. They tend to place this magical premium on smartphone data in the name of maximizing revenue.
If you don't use more than 200 mb a month then the $15 plan should be fine. If you think you'll use more, which is very likely with these phones, you'll want to get the 2gb plan.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget the 30 dollar surcharge for the "privilege" to tether your computer to your phone and use "your" data.

I've been kicked back and forth through various AT&T departments for the past month over this...
According to AT&T's official line, if you were using a smartphone on a non-smartphone data plan before November of last year, you have a 'smartphone exclusion' added to your account. This will keep you from automatically getting 'upgraded' to a smartphone data plan as long as you don't change to a different smartphone.
Actually, it's a bit more complex than that. The above is true... as long as you're talking about AT&T smartphones. They have a database with the IMEI number for all of the smartphones they offer... but it does not include smartphones that they don't offer. As a result, if you plugged your SIM into a Nexus One, AT&T would be perfectly happy letting you continue on a 'featurephone data plan'. Same goes if you picked up a sim-unlocked HTC Desire from Telus.
Anyway, if you get stuck that way, just move your sim back to your featurephone and give customer support a call. They can get you back on the cheap data plan.
Actually, there's been reports of people trying to add a smartphone data plan to an account using a Nexus One and having AT&T refuse because 'it's not a smartphone' - or rather it's not in their list of smartphones. AT&T insisted on putting them on a featurephone data plane instead.
Now what's really nasty (and what happened with me) is that if you had ben running on an ancient data plan (like a $20 per month plan that provided unlimited data, unlimited text, and 200 mms), and you stuck your sim in a Captivate, you're screwed. Actually it was the AT&T rep who stuck my sim in and tried to process the upgrade. And before the upgrade had even completed, my old data plan was gone and a 2gb smartphone plan was stuck in it's place. What's worse, when told to cancel the upgrade if I can't keep my old data plan, it was too late. Once that data plan is gone, it's gone for good. I tried to get it back for the next month, going through about 9 support cases and hitting multiple levels of support in 3 different divisions. About the best they could do was to give me a heavy discount on the Captivate and put me on the old smartphone unlimited plan.
With the amount of jerking around I was given before anybody could give me a straight answer, I'm seriously considering returning my Captivate anyway and giving Verizon a shot. Except that they're going to cost the same amount I'm paying now, and they don't (yet) have any good android phones that work international.

mesasone said:
Don't forget the 30 dollar surcharge for the "privilege" to tether your computer to your phone and use "your" data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or the $20 "privelege" of connecting to an "enterprise" email system

ag4vr said:
I doubt seriously that you'll be able to keep your MediaNet plan. Most of us think that data is data is data, but not where AT&T is concerned. They tend to place this magical premium on smartphone data in the name of maximizing revenue.
If you don't use more than 200 mb a month then the $15 plan should be fine. If you think you'll use more, which is very likely with these phones, you'll want to get the 2gb plan.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on this plan and it's not too bad. Only things I don't really do with my phone while I'm on data: browse the web, use google navigation, or use pandora radio. those things seem to eat up bandwith more than anything else.
Also, use a program like NetMeter, it'll let you know how much data you're using via data plan and wifi, very handy. It let's me monitor my use so I can be sure I won't go over.
And last thing to consider: The way AT&T's billing plan is that you're paying 15$ a month for the first 200mb of data that you use. If you go over that 200mb, they're going to charge you another 15$ for the next 200mb of data, and so on..
It really sucks they've done it like that, but they definitely had a lot of leaks in their network as far as data goes, which is why they've cracked down on it so much. I used to have the same 15$ unlimited data plan for the longest time ever and enjoyed it with my various HTC phones (Wizard, 8515, tilt), but ultimately, I hurt myself in the end since I didn't bother to get on an unlimited smart phone data plan back then, which would have cost me more at the time, but would more than make up for it as far as being grandfathered in goes.

The best way around it is getting a Tmobile phone because you dont need 3g and ATT usually doesnt mess aorund with there imei numbers. But Att has made data plan very cheap $15 and if u usually use wifi then u will never go over. I have never gone over 200 in the past year and its basically i download apps on wifi using other features in moderations u should be good.

First off, this is my first post on these forums.. second. I had the unlimited data plan on a dumbphone, switched to the smartphone. Was told I couldn't keep my plan. Called customer support. Explained I had been with ATT since 1998 and I don't understand why I couldn't keep my plan. They said I couldn't, agent was rather rude IMHO, I said, well I can change carriers, can I speak to a manager. She put me on hold. Came back rather quickly and said in a nice voice. Sir, I spoke to my manager and they agree to give you your plan back, since you have been with us for so long. But you know, it will cost you 5 dollars more a month. I laughed and said, that's not the point."

[Q] AT&T Nexus One on AT&T

Hello All,
I was wondering if the AT&T version of the Nexus one is exempt from the auto data plan adding from AT&T? THANKS.

I'm not positive, but I believe they can recognize an N1 IMEI.
EDIT: See this thread. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=694126
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

I think it is, I have one of the really old $15/month UNLIMITED data plans for dumbphones and using my at&t N1 for about 8 months I haven't had any changes. If it does for some reason add a data plan, you will get a text instantly, at which point you should call at&t to cancel the data. Just tell them you put your sim into a friends phone to try it out our something. Hope this helps.

I'm on the grandfathered in media works package ($20 for unlimited data, 1500 sms, and 200 mms). I have had plenty of smart phones, including the N1 since March and have never had any issues with it
As long as you don't abuse the **** out of your data plan, you'll be fine.

my N1 shows as unrecognized by att....

they auto switched me at 11 months. I fought and fought. Retention phone person and everything. They did nothing for me, I am stuck on the 2gb plan and they rolled me back to a 29.99 minute plan since I don't use many minutes. So after an hour on the phone the cut my bill back by $10.
I'm switching carriers after I move and see who has the better coverage.
They didn't care I was a 13 year att customer.
edit, shouldn't say 11 months, should be however long the att version has been out, i had the tmo version before that.

johng75 said:
my N1 shows as unrecognized by att....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here
10 char

ATT is weird. My n1 is not recognized. I used to have captivate and they recognized it. So I got rid of it. I use my data plan a lot. I mean alot. I use it as my internet connection at work. I am on a unlimited media plan. 15 bucks month. Cant beat it. I am sorry but I use the chit out of it. Lol. That's is the onlyreason I refuse to change my carrier and sign new contract with ATT. With the money I save I can buy new device whenever I need. Which I think it won't happen soon.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

I was on the cheap media net plan until last month. Apparently they did some audits in my area. I got slapped with the 2Gb data plan. A friend of mine who was using an old iphone 3G with no data plan got it auto added as well. It seems like ATT is cracking down lately. I plan on switching to another carrier in the near future.

They will switch you to the proper data plan on the ATT nexus one. I finally just got hit this month from my 15dollar data plan. Some people still haven't been hit yet, I was one of them.
I'm a mod of the ATT forum over at Howardforums and we have a huge thread tracking nexus ones who get bumped. Ironically I finally got hit this month while others got hit months ago. I haven't touched my ATT account for over 4 years too nor signed a contract. It bothered me a bit!

How to get Unlimited Data on AT&T

I'm just transferring this thread from the Atrix forum for those that would be interested in getting onto (or back onto) AT&T's unlimited data plan rather than the tiered plans they offer.
It requires an IPhone 2G in order to do it and a sim card that has not been previously registered on an IPhone.
It does work, I did it on my own lines with ease.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1008698

Gr8Danes said:
I'm just transferring this thread from the Atrix forum for those that would be interested in getting onto (or back onto) AT&T's unlimited data plan rather than the tiered plans they offer.
It requires an IPhone 2G in order to do it and a sim card that has not been previously registered on an IPhone.
It does work, I did it on my own lines with ease.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1008698
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Click to collapse
It works...lol..I have actually rented my iphone 2g out to infuse owners to accomplish this.

00mred00 said:
It works...lol..I have actually rented my iphone 2g out to infuse owners to accomplish this.
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Click to collapse
You could almost make a business out of it.

Gr8Danes said:
You could almost make a business out of it.
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Click to collapse
I have a friend that does that...you send him $$ and your login info..he sends you back a sim with unlimited data

AT&T's policies do allow anyone with an unlimited plan to keep their unlimited data when moving to a different smartphone, so if any rep says otherwise, then tell them to look it up in their reference material, called myCSP......just a little inside info

Can't find a iPhone 2g locally to save my life. Anyone know who offers this service
Sent from my LG-P925 using XDA App

Just throwing this out there, starting this month they will be throttling data speeds if you go over 2GB on the unlimited data plans. You can go over but it will be sloooow.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium

AzraelsVoice said:
Just throwing this out there, starting this month they will be throttling data speeds if you go over 2GB on the unlimited data plans. You can go over but it will be sloooow.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you are correct
Sent from somewhere, lost in time

I hate to sound like a broken record, but being a sales rep, tons of people come in obsessing over unlimited data. Especially the ones who barely use a gig a month.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium

AzraelsVoice said:
I hate to sound like a broken record, but being a sales rep, tons of people come in obsessing over unlimited data. Especially the ones who barely use a gig a month.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I barely use a gig a month, but it's better to be safe than sorry...

I'll save $5 and keep it under 2gb.

I was lucky enough to have an unlimited data plan grandfathered in from last year when i had my previous Android cell (Motorola Backflip)

*Crosses fingers* please don't say you liked that phone lol
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium

Hey, I was just wondering, does it have to be an unactivated sim card that's never been used on a 2g.. or does it just have to be a sim card that hasn't been
used on a 2g phone..
and i have an old 2g phone, it lights up but you can't really go into anything on it.. basically a black screen just lit up.. it's recognized in itunes too..

AzraelsVoice said:
*Crosses fingers* please don't say you liked that phone lol
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
it served it's purpose for a year and a half... made the mistake of getting the FIRST android based phone AT&T released... did i like it? 50/50

I had one for three days because I HAD to try Android. Had promise but fell short. I still have people bringing them into the store for service every now and then these days.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium

well i guess i got lucky... never had to had my phone go in for service.... most issues i was able to resolve on my own... might end up selling it to a dev on another forum

since at&t counts data in bytes,
it would make sense that your speed would lower after 20001 bytes, right?

latinohot said:
since at&t counts data in bytes,
it would make sense that your speed would lower after 20001 bytes, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no idea but are you still tethering? Like as in are you still tethering hours later? If so, you might want to watch how much you're tethering. If you push it too far, AT&T can find out and put you on a tethering plan.

Right now I'm on Sprint and would like to move over to AT&T but like most of you want unlimited data. If I switch I will get 3 lines (family plan) 2 iphone 4s's for my two sisters and 1 Samsung Skyrocket for me. Anyone know if its possible for us to get unlimited data?

[Q] Data Plan

Not sure if anyone know's but let's say I get two of these phones one for me and one for the wife and Only one needs Data considering I am home all day with wi-fi access. Is there a way to get it so I can call in and drop one of the data plans after getting the phone?

The only way you could do that is if you buy it off contract. The carrier will force you to have a data plan.
Sent from my LG Thrill 3D using XDA Premium

Well what if I buy it and say I sold the phone and plug in My OLD Motorola Rokr to the Sim when I call them. I mean they can't prove that I didn't sell it.

But the network knows your imei and att will know what kind of phone it is.
Would your plan work? Probably. Would it be surprising for att to surprise you with automatically adding a data plan later? No.
If you look online at your account it will show you what phone you have. I once tested their system with a few phones I got from friends. One was an att branded flip phone, one was a unlocked HTC WinMo phone with a custom ROM, and another was a TMo blackberry. Each time within a day or two the website updated itself with my phone.
Sent from my Captivate running Continuum 5.6

you'll be able to switch to another data plan when you change device
or outright remove it
but when you switch back to the thrill it will detect it and automatically add the $15mb 200 meg data plan
just do the iphone or unlocked smartphone idea to get her unlimited data. that way at least she can listen to pandora, stream videos, and use gps when she's out.

againareku said:
you'll be able to switch to another data plan when you change device
or outright remove it
but when you switch back to the thrill it will detect it and automatically add the $15mb 200 meg data plan
just do the iphone or unlocked smartphone idea to get her unlimited data. that way at least she can listen to pandora, stream videos, and use gps when she's out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have heard of the iPhone idea but what's the unlocked Smartphone idea. I mean I have an unlocked T-Mobile Mytouch 4G (That Work?)

plenty of other ways, port out number to another carrier.....port it back in, dont have to use same rate plan when you come back, dif phone now, no data needed...

Any time you put your Sim card in a smartphone, the phone will update the IMEI on your account and send you a text saying it added the plan within about two days of use. Pretty much no way around it that I know of.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium

The price of your phone is subsidized by the contracted data plan. As far as I know they would leave it on your account no matter what actual phone you are using, since they gave you a $550 phone and will be getting their money back one way or another.

Not actually. You can start a contract with a smartphone but later change your IMEI to a regular phone and drop the data altogether. They get their money back from your monthly rate plan.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium

TylDurden said:
The price of your phone is subsidized by the contracted data plan. As far as I know they would leave it on your account no matter what actual phone you are using, since they gave you a $550 phone and will be getting their money back one way or another.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you got the phone for a reduced price then switched to a non smart phone you could drop the data, but if you use any smartphone with att they add a data plan.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium

AzraelsVoice said:
Not actually. You can start a contract with a smartphone but later change your IMEI to a regular phone and drop the data altogether. They get their money back from your monthly rate plan.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So why are data plans contracted and required on some (smart) phones and not others?

Data plans aren't contracted. smartphones require data plans because of the large amounts of
data they consume due to the full html browser, app downloading, and app data use.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium

Interesting. I don't have too much experience with ATT but on TMobile when I got a BB and sold it, I attached a different phone and tried to remove the Data plan and it gave me a disconnection fee. I had to get a sales rep friend work some magic, when ATT says that a phone "requires data and a 2 year contract" I just put 2 and 2 together. Glad to hear I'm not locked into a data plan.

That's crazy that t mobile contracts plans. No wonder they're going out of business lol. with AT&T, pretty much the only thing that is contracted is your service. You can change any rate plan or data plan anytime as long as it's within the guidelines for your device.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium

AzraelsVoice said:
That's crazy that t mobile contracts plans. No wonder they're going out of business lol. with AT&T, pretty much the only thing that is contracted is your service. You can change any rate plan or data plan anytime as long as it's within the guidelines for your device.
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Makes sense to me. Data usage of a phone has nothing to do with a required data plan. You can always turn it off (the data) from the phone. Getting money back for a more expensive phone is a much better excuse to require data. I'm still doubting that I can just change to a flip phone and turn off my data plan on ATT. I liked tmobile (and still do) better than ATT. I just wanted a Thrill and I joined my Dads plan so I pay less, but I almost payed the same with my own plan on Tmobile without splitting the bill with anyone. ATT is way more expensive.

TylDurden said:
ATT is way more expensive.
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Click to collapse
I keep hearing this. I shopped around and couldn't find another carrier that had a significantly reduced rate from what I pay.
5 lines
2 smart phones w/unlimited data
2 non-smart phones w/unlimited data
1 non-smart phone not on any data plan
1500 minutes
unlimited text
Total monthly=~$230
We had 2100 minutes but since AT&T went free mobile to mobile calling and up 10 non-cell lines free to and from calling, we had a ton of rollover minutes.
US Cellular was like $250
Verizon was $160 before you even threw in data plans and insurance
Sprint is terrible in my area for reception
T-mobile was ~$240
Granted I get 15% off my bill so it'd be a bit more expensive. But when price comparing, all the companies are about the same when it comes to family packages.

I have 4 lines
3 smartphones w/ $25 data
1 regular Joe
Insurance on all 4
Unlimited texting for all
Around $225 before my discount
Sent from my LG-P925 using xda premium

Mobile to Mobile is sweet

Clearing things up
Ok ok ok, so I work for ATT Customer Care, and I have to deal with this every darn day. ATT's systems are smarter than you, sorry, it's true. They do random sweeps and see what IMEI (id for phone) the sim card is attached to. They also look at the calls, and every call has an IMEI attached to it. I promise you, even if you buy the phone outright, or say you have a different phone, it will catch you. It will also notify you saying your busted, and it will put on the $25 2gb with $10/1gb overage on it. You cannot get around it, sorry. The only way was to have a smartphone exclusion on the acct, and that is not possible because you are changing IMEI's. Sorry, deal with it.
On a side now, if you want unlim data, then buy an ORIGINAL iPhone, put it on your acct for a few days, call back in and have the imei changed to the thrill, and you get to keep the data package.
Have a great day!

Cannot use n1 with current data plan, but it worked before on other android phones.

So my girlfriend has been using a Bb for tmobile the past 3 months and before that she had a hd2 and never had a problem with her data but now when trying to browse the web on her n1 it says her current data plan isn't supported but it was never changed from the original one she had. She has tmobile and currently running cm7 kang with pershoots kernel.
Sent from my Galaxy Tab 10.1

Check the apn?
under APN is it internet2.voicestream.com or is it epc.tmobile.com? Should be the first one

baseballfanz said:
Check the apn?
under APN is it internet2.voicestream.com or is it epc.tmobile.com? Should be the first one
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Click to collapse
The latter, I tried switching toninternet2.voice stream.com and it still gives the same message, its web2go message.
Sent from my Galaxy Tab 10.1

I'm having the same problem today. Unhappy

pfmiller said:
I'm having the same problem today. Unhappy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You and my gf are both very unhappy today.
Sent from my Galaxy Tab 10.1

If anyone figures this out let me know asap :/
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium

Any other ideas anyone?
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium

Im pretty sure the Blackberry data plan is independent of every other data plan. I believe the blackberry service itself is provided by RIM in conjunction with your ISP (your ISP provides the pipes to the Blackberry servers, thats why sites often think you are in canada)
This was at least true when i was using a BB in Australia, and i cant imagine its different anywhere else.
So when she got her BB, she probably got put on a BB data plan, and you need to get T-mobile know you need a normal Data plan.

I have never been on a BB plan, it's a regular plan that used to work.

I woke up one day to no data, contacted T-Mobile and turns out they put Android phones on different data plan. They did the switch at no charge. I suggest contacting them to update the plan info. (not that I think it should make a difference but they seem to think it does).
HTH,
marka

Have you considered trying to contact T-mobile?