Nope, I really meant that some unlocked devices will work fine on T-Mobile's voice network but T-Mobile is blocking the data service on them. I have one such device, the Huawei S7, a 7" Android phone/tablet. When it first came out a little over a year ago people were using it on T-Mobile's data network, then one day a few months later it just quit working. For a time T-Mobile was also blocking data on jailbroken/unlocked iPhones (I have one of those, too), but then thought better of it and reversed that policy. I think the same may hold true for AT&T, but it's prices are outrageous anyway.

I'm not up to date on this topic, I just wanted to warn international visitors that swapping out SIM cards may not work as smoothly here as it does, say, in Europe where I've had really good experiences. I've pretty much given up on AT&T and T-Mobile for prepaid data in the US. I was able to get a good deal on a Virgin Mobile MiFi hotspot and that's what I use when I'm travelling for more than a couple of days and wifi is not readily available. But that's probably not a cost-effective solution for short-term international visitors here.

Mike

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Cary Gordon
> Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2011 9:07 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Availability of data-enabled temporary SIM
> cards
> 
> I think that "Some devices they don't sell are blocked from using the
> prepaid data service." would mean that those phones are locked by
> definition.
> 
> Cary
> 
> On Fri, Dec 9, 2011 at 6:31 PM, Kyle Banerjee <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
> > On Thu, Dec 8, 2011 at 1:50 PM, KREYCHE, MICHAEL <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
> >
> >> I meant "phone purchased from T-Mobile." Some devices they don't
> sell are
> >> blocked from using the prepaid data service.
> >>
> >
> > Meaning an unlocked phone can be used for calls but not data? Weird.
> >
> > You should be able to use data on a properly unlocked phone. If you
> > couldn't do that, you'd think that the people who root their phones
> and
> > drop in a new ROM wouldn't be able to use service.
> >
> > I love TMO, but I wouldn't just go for the cheapest service. Check
> the
> > frequencies that your phone handles and of the carrier you plan to
> use.
> > Edge speeds really suck, particularly if you're tethering, and it's
> worth
> > dropping a bit more coin for something that actually works.
> >
> > kyle
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Cary Gordon
> The Cherry Hill Company
> http://chillco.com