[sotypical]

A few of us are going to Vegas. 3 of us have BlackBerries.

We all have Canadian phones with Rogers - so it is just US roaming. But we are wondering the best way to go.

Data is .03 cents a KB. Texting is .60 cents a message.
If we pay $10 in advance, we can lower it to .01 cent a KB.

The only thing we really want to do is be able to communicate without paying $1.70 per minute.

Are we best to text or blackberry message?

We can turn off all all programs like email, facebook, weather, etc... heck I will even delete them all. But is leaving data on a bad idea? What else uses it? Will texting work out to be cheaper? Or should we use BBM?

Tips? Advice?

I have only had my BlackBerry long enough to get one bill... I think I used 16MB of data in a month... so I don't use a lot anyway.

[Mansquared]

Rogers doesn't have a better international data plan than that?? wtf
I know tmobile in US has $20 extra/month for unlimited international data. and its pro-rated for the # of days you use it. but obviously this won't help you.
good luck figuring it out. i have no clue

roger's is evil!!!

[sotypical]

roger's is evil!!!

I don't wanna hear that!
I just switched from Telus and i am stuck for 3 years! haha

[Mansquared]

I don't wanna hear that!
I just switched from Telus and i am stuck for 3 years! haha

3 years???? OMFG what the heck is that? Roger's has 3 year contracts? das CRAZY!!

[RCOCAB]

If you are going to be on the strip you can drive to the airport (5 min drive), they have a free wifi access. You can make calls using UMA.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[warwick]

I'm on Rogers and have also spent lots of time thinking about BB roaming.

The short answer is either BB messenger or BB text email will be cheap in the USA. Just make sure you don't make any phone calls or use lots of data using apps, maps, browsing, email attachments, etc.

International rogers data roaming is expensive because it rounds up minimum data useage. USA data doesn't round up, and if you have a normal blackberry data plan, then you will find in the fine print that "U.S. roaming is $0.006 per KB". As BB email is very efficient, it comes in at max 2 kb until you scroll down for more (set email "general options / Auto More" as No); so that is about 1c per email.

BB Messenger should even be less, and I have heard other people suggest, for some reason I don't understand, that it is free when roaming.

I was in the USA for about 5 months in 2007; I ended up using my rogers BB for email (cheap), and a walmart pay as you go phone for voice.

Unlike Tmobile, I understand rogers has disabled wifi UMA calling internationally. I can confirm that for South America, but it is possible it may work in the USA; though I doubt it.

[Excalibur]

Interesting thread.
I just went from a relatively spartan 8700 to an 8900 -- and loaded lots of apps which certainly use more bandwidth. I figure if I don't use these apps when in the US, and disable any auto-updating, I should be able to avoid any surprises when I open my Rogers bill the following month. Or... I just use my 8700 when I'm in the US, as all I really will need is my email, and a phone in case of emergency.
Just curious-- I'll be in Manhattan on my next trip -- is AT&T the 'roaming partner' for Rogers in that area of the country?

[daveparki]

not sure if i am reading this thread correctly, but to not receive data charges you can turn off the data services in the mobile network option, the handset will not look for emails or use data services while roaming, voice calls is pretty much upto your providor, but you can see if they do a bundle/package like they do over here in the uk

[omegac]

Not US/CAN specific, but I just spent a week in the US with a UK O2 BB account. I emailed and BB IM'd my little socks off, and came back to a roaming bill of �10 GBP. In the past, when I have roamed with "normal" phones and text and called, a bill of �100+ is not unusual.

The data for IM's and emails must be minimal, and that's what I would recommend based on my experience.