Question

Essential plan with traveling to Aruba

  • 16 January 2024
  • 4 replies
  • 813 views

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When I was on my last cruise to Aruba, Curacao, and Grand Turk, once we arrived at each port, I came off airplane mode.  My phone said I had great connection, but when I went to browse to the internet, the Chrome browser said no internet connection.  When did they change the Essential plan that you don’t have data even at slow speed in over 215+ countries?  I don’t see it anymore on our plan other than texting and calling.  


4 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +15

The data is usually so slow, it won't actually be useful for 99% of things people do today on theor smartphones.  Did you have roaming enabled on your device?  Are you sure your device was compatible with the networks in those countries?

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Yes I was in roaming and I had been there before using my phone without any issue especially in Aruba about 1 year ago.  The data was slow but at least it didn’t tell me no internet connection was available.  I guess my question is did Tmobile stop allowing essential plans to gain any data access outside the US?  I see where you can buy int’l passes so I assume they stopped giving it to us with our plan and now making us pay for it.  I did buy the $5 pass to confirm and yes I was then able to access the internet for up to 512 mb.  Wasn’t sure what other’s had experienced. I will be looking to other carriers to see what that offer too.

Userlevel 7
Badge +11

My understanding was that the Essentials plan only had text roaming standard and that to get data roaming you had to buy a data pass. Not 100% sure but that’s what I seem to recall.

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Do you know when that changed?  I was able to get data in Aruba a year ago so I assume it was recent, but just more curious...

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