Very High Phone Bill

[prepress]

Hi,

I received this morning a phone bill from AIS over 4,033 Baht. Never had such a high amount.

I have an AIS promotion: Fix charge 275 Baht, incl. voice call 150 min, SMS 100 messages, MMS 20, EDGE/GPRS 150 MB.

The statement on the bill: Fix charge 275 Baht, 1 Int. SMS = 9 Baht, EDGE/GPRS 490 MB 265 KB = 3,484 Baht, VAT 7% = 265 Baht.

I received my iPhone about 2 month from AIS. Besides making phone calls, I send and receive emails, do Internet browsing.

With free WIFI connections I download National Geographic maps, use Google translate, Skype, listen to Internet radio, tested FaceTime.

I don't understand when the phone is using EDGE/GPRS, 3G, or WiFi. What should I avoid or deactivate on the iPhone?

I hope the bill is an error.

Thanks in advance.

[jackbox]

The bill is most likely correct. iPhones are connected to the internet 24/7/365 and are notorious for sending and receiving large amounts of data even when not in use. Based on your bill you need to change to a volume data plan with an allowance of 500MB a month or more. Then you can avoid bill shock. AIS rates for data are exorbitantly high once you go over your allowed data volume. They will not adjust your bill as you had the wrong plan for your phone. Get your plan changed asap to avoid high charges again next month.

[beano2274]

i had the same problem and found that my internet was always trying to automatically connect to check my emails, as soon as I switched this off my bills looked good.

Check the settings on the internet you might have it set up so it looks for your home network and not the free WIFI client.

[thaicbr]

just get an unlimited internet package. .....sorted then.

[Phil Conners]

Moved to Apple forum...

[beano2274]

I use a Nokia and when chatting on EBuddy the software will look for my home network only, and not search for WIFI.

[lomatopo]

It's called iShock.

Seriously, it takes a lot of data to transmit your exact location back to Cuppertino.

It could be worse, PFC. Jose Rivera, in Afghanistan, got a 300 page, $16,000 (USD) bill for one month last December!

[prepress]

I checked my iPhone settings:

Notifications: all Off (today)

Wi-Fi: ON

Pers. Hotspot: Off

Location Service: ON

General > Network > Enable 3G: ON, Celluar Data: ON, Data Roaming: OFF, VPN: not connected

Which of this could cause such large amounts of data?

[sambosoul]

I'm always wondering why people spend ~ 700$ for an iPhone and being stingy with an upgrade to the next bigger data plan.

[jackbox]

I checked my iPhone settings:

Notifications: all Off (today)

Wi-Fi: ON

Pers. Hotspot: Off

Location Service: ON

General > Network > Enable 3G: ON, Celluar Data: ON, Data Roaming: OFF, VPN: not connected

Which of this could cause such large amounts of data?

Just the fact that you have cellular data on. iPhones talk to the cellular data network constantly exchanging information about your phone, location, checking for emails, checking for app udpates, etc. iPhones are known to use much more data on standby than Android phones. When you are not in the vicinity of a wifi network that you can use, the phone will use cellular data. Depending on how much data is transmitted the normal person uses around 250MB per month. Some users (expecially iPhones) need more. You need to go to at least 500MB or an unlimited plan to prevent another occurrence of this happening in the future.

Also, is your phone jailbroken and using ultrasnow for unlock? If you don't have the SAM package (get from Cydia) installed to get a legitimate activation certificate, there is a known issue that the iPhone keeps checking in with Apple's computers to obtain a legitimate activation certificate. This activity consumes battery faster and uses up a lot of cellular data traffic. If you install SAM, remove hacktivation and then activate uses iTunes the iPhone will have an authentic Apple activation certificate and it will be much happier.

Edited May 30, 2011 by jackbox

[sambosoul]

I checked my iPhone settings:

Notifications: all Off (today)

Wi-Fi: ON

Pers. Hotspot: Off

Location Service: ON

General > Network > Enable 3G: ON, Celluar Data: ON, Data Roaming: OFF, VPN: not connected

Which of this could cause such large amounts of data?

Cellular Data: ON allows you to send/receive data on the iPhone. The other criteria do not play a role in your large data waste.

Get a larger data plan. An iPhone without unlimited data plan is just half the fun.

[prepress]

jackbox:

I haven't heard about Apple's 'legitimate activation certificate'. Thanks for that info.

My phone is not jailbroken. So, I can not install the SAM package. I don't want to loose the warranty. If I sync with iTunes, will it be deleted?

I have switched off Celluar Data as well.

I check for a larger or an unlimited data plan. Or move to another phone company.

[jackbox]

If you have a factory unlocked cell phone or using with carrier the iPhone is locked to then the first time you plugged it into iTunes to activate the phone received an authentic activation certificate. The SAM program is just for people who have unlocked using ultrasnow, as I have as I am using an AT&T locked iPhone on TOT3G. If you are in Bangkok AIS is Edge only and slow. You can get an I-Kool 3G sim (on TOT3G network) with a starting package of 500MB for 30 days for 99 baht, and 1000MB for 60 days for 199 baht. Topups as low as 50 baht get you another 30 days of use. Plus they have low rates for data. If you pay them 500 Baht you get 5000MB (5GB) added to your data allowance and another 30 days of use. Phone calls are 1.5 cents a minute and SMS are 1.5 cents each. Phones like the iPhone are much happier on 3G networks then the older Edge networks. True also has 3G in Bangkok but their service is below standard compared to TOT3G, which has been much better lately then when the service first rolled out. Also TOT is expanding their network nationwide by the end of this year, so eventually their 3G coverage will be throughout Thailand.

[prepress]

jackbox

thanks a lot for your valuable infos.

I'm in Bangkok. So my phone is locked to AIS. If I change to TOT3G do I have to unlock my iPhone and go through all this procedure with the SAM program?

Can I transfer my AIS Phone number?

If you have a factory unlocked cell phone or using with carrier the iPhone is locked to then the first time you plugged it into iTunes to activate the phone received an authentic activation certificate. The SAM program is just for people who have unlocked using ultrasnow, as I have as I am using an AT&T locked iPhone on TOT3G. If you are in Bangkok AIS is Edge only and slow. You can get an I-Kool 3G sim (on TOT3G network) with a starting package of 500MB for 30 days for 99 baht, and 1000MB for 60 days for 199 baht.

[jackbox]

Your phone IS NOT locked to AIS. All iPhones sold in Thailand by AIS, DTAC and TRUE are factory unlocked and can be used with any sim card worldwide.

jackbox

thanks a lot for your valuable infos.

I'm in Bangkok. So my phone is locked to AIS. If I change to TOT3G do I have to unlock my iPhone and go through all this procedure with the SAM program?

Can I transfer my AIS Phone number?

If you have a factory unlocked cell phone or using with carrier the iPhone is locked to then the first time you plugged it into iTunes to activate the phone received an authentic activation certificate. The SAM program is just for people who have unlocked using ultrasnow, as I have as I am using an AT&T locked iPhone on TOT3G. If you are in Bangkok AIS is Edge only and slow. You can get an I-Kool 3G sim (on TOT3G network) with a starting package of 500MB for 30 days for 99 baht, and 1000MB for 60 days for 199 baht.

Edited May 30, 2011 by jackbox

[danbradster]

You should disable the internet network connection, so your internet will only work when you manually connect to wifi. Then you're safe.

Settings>General>Network>Disable Cellular Data

[jdinasia]

The bill is most likely correct. iPhones are connected to the internet 24/7/365 and are notorious for sending and receiving large amounts of data even when not in use. Based on your bill you need to change to a volume data plan with an allowance of 500MB a month or more. Then you can avoid bill shock. AIS rates for data are exorbitantly high once you go over your allowed data volume. They will not adjust your bill as you had the wrong plan for your phone. Get your plan changed asap to avoid high charges again next month.

If you are a regular customer and talk to a supervisor they MIGHT adjust your bill. Talk to them and see if they have an unlimited plan for the iphone .... (they do for the BB)

[lomatopo]

... I have as I am using an AT&T locked iPhone on TOT3G. If you are in Bangkok AIS is Edge only and slow. You can get an I-Kool 3G sim (on TOT3G network) with a starting package of 500MB for 30 days for 99 baht, and 1000MB for 60 days for 199 baht. Topups as low as 50 baht get you another 30 days of use. Plus they have low rates for data. If you pay them 500 Baht you get 5000MB (5GB) added to your data allowance and another 30 days of use. Phone calls are 1.5 cents a minute and SMS are 1.5 cents each. Phones like the iPhone are much happier on 3G networks then the older Edge networks. True also has 3G in Bangkok but their service is below standard compared to TOT3G, which has been much better lately then when the service first rolled out. Also TOT is expanding their network nationwide by the end of this year, so eventually their 3G coverage will be throughout Thailand.

I've been using both True 3G and iMobile 3GX (a reseller or MVNO for TOT 3G, as are iKool, IEC, 365, MoJo), in Android and air-card applications since 1 Jan. The TOT 3G service operates on 2100 Mhz, so in-building coverage is not nearly as good as True (on 850 Mhz). In some cases this is dramatic, with 1-bar indoors, and 4 bars one step outside. Where you have 3G, in metro-Bangkok the service; mobile broadband, voice and SMS is fine. Once outside of TOT's 3G coverage (they have a great coverage map on their web-site - 500+ base-stations, some/all with HSPA) or in some buildings, the subway, etc., you roam onto to AIS/One-2-Call for voice, but no SMS or 2G. With True you have (nearly) nationwide coverage for voice, SMS and 2G. TOT 3G is very cost-effective (baht/MB). Obviously we are in a transition period as 3G seems poised for a wider roll-out, and the TOT 3G service is good in Bangkok, but people should be aware of the current limitations.

[jackbox]

Just a sidenote. If you put an AIS, DTAC or TRUE sim in an unlocked iPhone it will automatically set the apn and mms settings for you based on the sim. But if you put in a TOT3G (or any of the MVNOs such as I-Kool, IEC, I-Mobile, etc.) sim you need to manually set the apn and mms settings. MMS is not working on all MVNOs yet but it defintely works with TOT3G's own sims. I haven't tried it with my I-Kool 3G sim yet. If the settings are not automatically set when you go to Settings, General, Network there will be a Cellular Data Network option. Select it and then put in the following info.

Cellular Data

APN; internet

Username: <nothing>

Password: <nothing>

MMS

APN: mms

Username <nothing>

Password: <nothing>

MMSC: http://mmsc.tot3g.net:8002

MMS Proxy: 10.218.24.83:8080

You can leave everything lese blank.

Edited May 30, 2011 by jackbox

[naboo]

Unlimited data plans are about 700Baht a month. I get 350 minutes, 500 sms and unlimited EDGE for (about) that with DTAC (no 3G in most of the places I go with any network so I'm sticking with DTAC). True are slightly cheaper, AIS I don't know.

you can transfer your number across, and calling them up and asking to do so may encourage them to offer you a discount on the bill and switch you to a more suitable plan. Unlimited is the only way to go with any smartphone if you want to enjoy the full benefits of the phone.

[beano2274]

Unlimited data plans are about 700Baht a month. I get 350 minutes, 500 sms and unlimited EDGE for (about) that with DTAC (no 3G in most of the places I go with any network so I'm sticking with DTAC). True are slightly cheaper, AIS I don't know.

you can transfer your number across, and calling them up and asking to do so may encourage them to offer you a discount on the bill and switch you to a more suitable plan. Unlimited is the only way to go with any smartphone if you want to enjoy the full benefits of the phone.

I get 200 minutes of talk time, 50 SMS, 10 MMS and 4 hours Internet all for 250 Baht from AIS, but sorry to say this package is no longer available but they might have others to suit.