I recently purchased a blackberry curve 9300 3G and in the top right hand corner "3G" is constantly there. Being a complete newb when it comes to blackberry's I am unsure of what this means! Does it mean that my internet is being constantly drained even when I have nothing running? I have 250 mb allowed each month when it comes to internet and really cannot afford to over-run if this is the case - is it? OR is my internet only "taken" when I click on the internet? I hope this makes sense. PLEASE someone help! Also when I receive a facebook notification to my phone, click on it - is that taking internet as well??
Your internet is only "taken" when you use an application that requires an internet connection. The 3G means that you are in an area where you have 3G coverage, as opposed to the slower 2G GPRS and EDGE, the phone is simply showing you what coverage it has.
As for the Facebook question, yes, Facebook requires an internet connection.
I only have a 500MB data allowance per month, I am a fairly heavy mobile internet user but still hardly make a dent in it, I wouldn't worry too much.
Last edited by GreenBerry84; 09-14-11 at 04:35 PM.
Thank you so much for the speedy and informative response!
See I wouldn't say I am a heavy internet user - I'm merely using it to open up and email when I've been sent one or click on a facebook notification to see what it is.
In this sense, do you think 250MB is more than enough per month?
Turn wifi on, and you will use that given that you are connected to a wifi network. This saves your data, especially if you have a smaller amount. I think in one month, I was trying to see if I could keep it up under 200mb with Twitter, Facebook, email, browsing, etc, and I did, I was at like 198mb.
The data connection is persistent but not always being used I believe the description of it is "always on". Being someone who was grandfathered into unlimited data via Verizon I don't worry about the difference between WIFI and 3G unless I want to get something done faster then I hop onto WIFI.
As someone who has been on a top up contract for 5 years, with a phone that didn't even have internet, all of this WIFI/3G stuff confuses me so thanks for all the posts!
I've turned WIFI on now as everyone's advised! so does that mean when I'm in places like my home right now for example (where there's wifi), I'm not using any of my 250mb from my contract? And 3g when I'm somewhere which has no wifi?
Also I didn't realise bbm messenger uses the internet :/ is that still using the 250mb? Does it use very little?
Go to your carriers page and if the main user make up an account there and will have all your info from minutes used, how much data consumed, text messages and the like.
I am sure with what you said your usage is that 250mb will be fine, just use wifi as much as possible.
Yes BBM requires a data plan to work, so it is using your data.
Nice thing about BB's is data goes through RIM's NOC and compresses data, so if I could do it under 250mb, I am sure you could as well and I was quite heavy user IMO anyway....
I wouldn't worry much honestly.
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