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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Going overseas? Be wary of data link on PDA phone
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I WOULD like to draw readers' attention to a little-known fact about overseas data charges on PDA phones. I hope my experience will make the public more aware of this issue so that they don't make my mistake.
As a technology junkie, I recently subscribed to StarHub's Mobile Data Plan. When I went overseas, I did not switch off my data connection. I assumed that if I did not surf the Net or check my e-mail, like normal GSM (calling) roaming, I would not incur any additional charges. I was surprised to receive my phone bills and see I had been charged $200 for overseas data roaming.
A check with StarHub customer service revealed that some well-known applications installed on my PDA - Facebook, Twitter and Viigo - had somehow tapped the overseas data connection on my PDA without my knowledge. I did not even start these applications on my PDA. StarHub could not tell me if the data was sent (by the user) from my PDA or received by these applications.
It is attractive to add on a mobile broadband data plan to stay connected to the Web on the go with the promotional packages offered by phone operators such as SingTel, M1 and StarHub. However, none of them advises consumers to switch off the data connection when overseas to prevent additional charges on data roaming, much less warns consumers of software that runs in the background and can tap the data connection without the user's knowledge.
I hope my experience will prevent other consumers from falling into the same trap and paying a hefty price.
Chong Kai Xin (Ms)
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I WOULD like to draw readers' attention to a little-known fact about overseas data charges on PDA phones. I hope my experience will make the public more aware of this issue so that they don't make my mistake.
As a technology junkie, I recently subscribed to StarHub's Mobile Data Plan. When I went overseas, I did not switch off my data connection. I assumed that if I did not surf the Net or check my e-mail, like normal GSM (calling) roaming, I would not incur any additional charges. I was surprised to receive my phone bills and see I had been charged $200 for overseas data roaming.
A check with StarHub customer service revealed that some well-known applications installed on my PDA - Facebook, Twitter and Viigo - had somehow tapped the overseas data connection on my PDA without my knowledge. I did not even start these applications on my PDA. StarHub could not tell me if the data was sent (by the user) from my PDA or received by these applications.
It is attractive to add on a mobile broadband data plan to stay connected to the Web on the go with the promotional packages offered by phone operators such as SingTel, M1 and StarHub. However, none of them advises consumers to switch off the data connection when overseas to prevent additional charges on data roaming, much less warns consumers of software that runs in the background and can tap the data connection without the user's knowledge.
I hope my experience will prevent other consumers from falling into the same trap and paying a hefty price.
Chong Kai Xin (Ms)
