[AugustKid]

So, this is a twist on the fairly common "Data Connection Refused" theme...

Recently bought an unlocked 8700g Blackberry off overstock.com. I'm bouncing between multiple countries in SE Asia, so I figured it made the most sense to buy individual SIM cards for each. I want to be able to check e-mail with my Blackberry, though, and when I plugged in my first pre-paid SIM card, I get the "Data Connection Refused" message (and no browser).

Am I correct to assume this is because the company from which I bought my SIM card has no Data plan? Has anyone had experience doing this in Thailand, Malaysia, or Indonesia? How do I get a browser? Many many thanks for your help and patience with these (I'm sure) completely idiotic questions!

[the-economist]

You're getting this error because most likely the prepaid sim you bought is for a voice and not a data plan. The provider that issued your sim may or may not have a data plan that can be bought individually or on top of your voice plan as a bundle. A quick call to their support department would answer what options are available to you.

Prepaid/pay as you go sim packages have ridiculously high charges in voice and/or data plans and a handfull of sim cards is a pain to manage especially if you travel a lot and often.

My advice would be to approach the major cell providers in your home country and get a contract phone with a world roaming data plan or a specific roaming agreement for the specific countries you're interested at.

[teczilla]

I agree with the-economist. The message "Data Connection Refused" is normal if you do not subscribe Blackberry data service. When the Blackberry is trying to connect to the internet, your carrier blocks it. You see this message as the result.

Instead of paying for expensive roaming fee, you may check the local Asian carriers if they offer pre-paid Blackberry data service. If they do, you can save a lot from the roaming fee.