TMO/BB blog post (negative)

[pupper14]

December 22, 2004
T-Mobile Tells BlackBerry Users: GetLess!

Since October of 2004, various subscribers to the T-Mobile network have been reporting that they are no longer able to make outbound requests on TCP port 80.

Admittedly, a lot of the noise about this online is because users of the T-Mobile "t-zones" data plan were not only able to access WAP sites, but any other website as well. Adding insult to injury, smart users were hooking up cables and using Bluetooth connections to their handsets and devices like laptops and PDAs, giving them a relatively complete Internet connection with a few caveats.

This cheap (or even free in some cases) Internet service was a prime selling point for T-Mobile - a lot of people were moving to T-Mobile and getting fancy smartphones for their trouble, and chewing up data for nearly nothing.

Now this isn't about the free-ride people were getting at T-Mobile, this is a completely different take on what T-Mobile has done to counter the freeloaders, at the expense of users who pay money for a premium service. I talking about the users of the RIM BlackBerry, currently being given the shaft, by T-Mobile.

When T-Mobile stopped allowing outbound requests to port 80, they stopped some of the freeware IM programs, and the freeloaders. They also made sure that devices could use the proxy servers at T-Mobile on devices that had a built-in web browser, and they also have allowed mobile phone users with unlimited data plans to use the appropriate APN for Internet access.

T-Mobile USA has three different access points for data on their network. They have the WAP APN (wap.voicestream.com), and the other two: internet2.voicestream.com and internet3.voicestream.com. Internet2.voicestream.com is for users of the T-Mobile Unlimited Internet plan (and possibly others as well) and internet3.voicestream.com is the APN used for Unlimited Internet users that need support for VPN clients that don't work behind a NAT properly. If you use the internet3 APN, you're getting an outside routable IP address on the T-Mobile network.

The problem started when one day I noticed that my RSS reader on my BlackBerry 7100t no longer worked. I also can't use any IM applications, such as VeriChat, any longer.

BlackBerry devices provisioned by T-Mobile do not have access to the "full Internet" APNs, internet2 or internet3. They are able to use the WAP APN only, which no longer permits outbound requests to a variety of ports - most importantly in my case, port 80.

Now, BlackBerry users on T-Mobile aren't trying to get a free ride. We're not even trying to get a cheap ride. We're paying as much as US$39 a month to connect our BlackBerry devices to the network and get email, as well as run applications on our devices. There are more and more applications being developed for the BlackBerry every day, and one of the selling points of these devices is the availability of third-party applications to extend them and make them even more useful.

Inevitably what happens is that someone calls T-Mobile because they have an issue. T-Mobile asks what the issue is, and the minute someone says they're trying to use VeriChat or an RSS reader, they get canned a response about how T-Mobile doesn't support third-party applications. What these knuckle-heads don't seem to realize, however is that the third-party applications would work just fine if T-Mobile would let them!

Making it more difficult is that T-Mobile has had a nasty habit of just closing open tickets regarding this issue. I had the misfortune of having the first escalation taken past Customer Care, Technical Support, Wireless Data Group (PDA and BlackBerry), Advanced Wireless Data Group, and finally the Advanced Wireless Data Group Supervisor, get closed by that same manager, who was amazingly unhelpful.

This individual insisted nothing was wrong, that nothing would happen to help me, and that nobody else could talk to me. He promised, however, that his supervisor (who wasn't available that evening) would see the ticket and contact me in the morning. Then we stopped our conversation, and he then apparently closed the ticket. His name was Willy. His Rep ID is 0130239.

My total time spent on the phone with T-Mobile on that occasion was almost two hours. Subsequent calls have been approximately twenty minutes, for updates.

Now T-Mobile tells me that this ticket has been escalated into Engineering. Nobody has apologized to me for Willy setting a bad expectation, closing my ticket, and generally being unpleasant. I have sent a letter via fax as requested to the T-Mobile Customer Relations department. Nobody has been giving me updates on my ticket. I have to call them, which I do, every day.

If I was just some guy with a cheap data plan that wanted the world, I'd have shut up a long time ago. All things considered, BlackBerry users are paying too much money for T-Mobile to tell us to go screw ourselves. There is no reason why we need to be put into the cheap seats when we're paying more money than anyone else on the T-Mobile network.

My solution for this is that T-Mobile give BlackBerry users access to the internet2 or internet3 APN's. This would solve the problem completely, and allow BlackBerry devices (running 3.8 or 4.0) Internet access. It would bring T-Mobile more in-line with their claims of unlimited browsing and solve the problem completely as far as I'm concerned. There would be very little reason for anyone to complain at that point, and T-Mobile would finally be delivering appropriate services to their BlackBerry subscribers.

The excellent forums at ****************.com also has some information regarding this issue. If you are also a user of the BlackBerry on T-Mobile, and have this problem, I encourage you to call the Wireless Data Group. Their direct number is: +1-877-369-4588, and please have your account information available.

I will be posting updates on my homepage (http://incumbent.org) as they come, and also updating the thread I started on HowardForums. It is cleverly called: "Do not get a BlackBerry from T-Mobile".

[WolfKeeper]

They're only angering a small percentage of their user base IMHO. In my experience the majority of users could care less about port 80 or full blown Internet access. E-mail is Blackberry's primary selling point, and if it's works, no one is really going to complain.

[NJBlackBerry]

A small percentage? How about microscopic. The same group that is obsessed with themes, ringtones and IM. Not exactly RIM or T-Mobile's core business customers...

[WolfKeeper]

I was being generous. Ho ho ho

[scOOby]

Originally posted by NJBlackBerry
A small percentage? How about microscopic. The same group that is obsessed with themes, ringtones and IM. Not exactly RIM or T-Mobile's core business customers...

I don't agree. With the introduction of the 7100 T-mobile started to actively target this younger crowd.

It may be nice for you as a BES user, but I am now no longer able to use an IM client, my RSS reader or any other app except for the browser and email client.

Times are changing, and when T-mobile suddenly thinks it's ok to take away services without an alternative then they should expect some bad PR, like this.

[Kopter]

Percentages aside folks, rule number one of customer service is that you inform your customers (you know.. the people who PAY for the service you provide..) when changes are imminent.

And when you make changes, you provide your customers (... you know... the people who can select your competitor's service over yours...) with an explanation and perhaps the opportunity to opt-in.

T-Mobile and RIM for that matter, IMHO, offers the 7100t in order to expand their brand beyond "...RIM or T-Mobile's core business customers..." within the context of an extremely cutthroat and competitive industry. This is about survival.

That being said, customers tend to vote with their feet. If T-Mo is not providing the level of service that their competitors are.. then it is time for T-Mo customers to walk away from them.

So if you think about it; blogs/links/postings/etc. actually provide T-Mo with free and honest feedback about their "brand" and so called service they are providing. What T-Mo does with this FREE market research is up to them.

Think of it this way; T-Mobile has been given something that many companies never get.... a choice. They can provide a competitively priced service or lose customers.

I have my 'trouble ticket' open.. for better than 72 hours now.... still no reply.. though they have promised one.. and may i add that this is the second ticket after my first one was closed without a reply OR a resolution.

All I will say is my feet are ready.. contract or not.. I will walk if I am not happy with their continued sub par/less than competitive service.

This is NOT customer service and clearly no way to run a business.

---------------
Kopter

[Mark D. Rejhon]

Ongoing discussion on HowardForums:
Do Not Get a BlackBerry From T-Mobile

Yes, we are the minority "power users" that are being adversely affected by this silliness. From several semi-official sources, T-Mobile engineers have actually already admitted that legitimate full paying users of BlackBerries have been adversely affected. (Level 1 script readers will tell you otherwise, but it's not in their scripts at the moment, as far as I know).

Devices are becoming more and more data-centric. Some of us just want to do online banking (For example, Reqwireless Webviewer suddenly stopped working too -- sometimes it works better than BlackBerry browser for certain websites!). And some of us depend on instant messaging so much, because our office uses MSN messenger. Another reason is that some of us are deaf, and we don't use the telephone, but other data services. Or maybe you are a small business or computer consultant without BES, that you want to administer a server. Perhaps you love the little applications such as Berry411.

Users like you will not be as much adversely affected, but people like me will be genuinely VERY angry. Yes, we are a minority, but a RAPIDLY growing one. (Example: Remember, 0.1% going to 0.5% is still a 400% growth. And 0.5% of 1 million is still 50,000. That stadium population can overwhelm tech support. The true numbers are unknown, but regardless, everyone agrees we're a rapidly growing microscopic minority.)

Keep calling T-Mobile. Progress is being made, and several T-Mobile engineers are now admitting the problem really exists. But the Level 1 scripts need to be updated so T-Mobile can give callers a proper answer for BlackBerry users. BlackBerry users, on general, are more sophisticated than most other cellphone users.

Also, we microscopic minority has also already scared at least 2 online non-BlackBerry people away from switching to T-Mobile. Alas, true numbers unknown. But this negative publicity is potentially worse than the number of BlackBerry TCP/IP users, if T-Mobile does not get this fixed eventually. There are enough genuinely angry users right now to have at least a slight amplifying effect already, based on this.

[NJBlackBerry]

And if you get angry enough, you'll switch carriers. It is a risk that T-Mobile is taking.

And as a vocal minority you absolutely have the right to voice your concerns - especially if T-Mobile took away something without warning. Of course my cable company turns off ports all the time, with the same vocal minority complaining. But 10 or even 100 people complaining, vs. the corporations (and government/military) buying power. I'm afraid that the percentages really do matter.

Notice that RIM has been really quiet on this one. They are letting you fight with the carriers.

As you said, with a BES things are different. When you support hundreds of BB customers - not one of whom has complained about IM, themes or ringtones - NOT ONE - it just doesn't register on our radar. Now if they can't open their attachments, that will get them going...

[Mark D. Rejhon]

You got that right.

Businesses are much more co-ordinated, since you've got 500 users of BlackBerries in a typical medium size corporation, and that carries more weight than a few consumer complainers, the ones that even bother to call in. Consequently, business users of BlackBerries are treated pretty well. RIM is obviously focussed on business.

During last summer, it was 50-50 between consumers/prosumers and business users for BlackBerry subscribers. I don't know what the proportion of business to consumers is now, but I think with the 7100 release, it couldn't have hurt this balance of proportion.

[ubik]

You know, I could really care less if IM works or not. However, I really think that this nonsense about how RIM and T-Mobile only care about business users should be put to rest once and for all. I know that you large corporate admins like to feel special, but you aren't. RIM spent many years catering exclusively to corporate clients, and it got them to half a million units in all those years.

Once they started courting individual users, that number doubled in less than a year, and as they devote more resources to development of products aimed at individual users, the number of units climbs even higher. I think it is clear that the majority of RIM's install base is NOT corporate. I have seen no evidence what so ever that the corporate install base has risen any from that initial half a million number that RIM already had before courting individual users. That means that at the current numbers, corporate BES clients comprise at best a third of the BlackBerry user base. That would be the very first time in the history of corporate cuture that I had ever heard of a company that really didn't care about two-thirds of their clients, because they saw that one-third as the ones that really mattered!

If you want to talk about percentages and who has more pull with T-Mobile/RIM numerically speaking, then the numbers don't favor corporate clients, espicially since T-Mobile is (last I checked) in last place for cellular providers in the number of corporate accounts. If I remember correctly, only 20% of T-Mobile's business comes for corporate accounts, the rest all being individuals.

[NJBlackBerry]

You're kidding, right? Well, since neither of us has any real statistics, we both disagree with each other.

I don't feel special. I just know that when I call T-Mobile I don't have to go through customer service, and I can talk to people at RIM anytime I want. When I send them an e-mail, I get a response. Special or not, that is something that a corporate account can do, and a pro/con/whatever can't.

[ubik]

Originally posted by NJBlackBerry
You're kidding, right? Well, since neither of us has any real statistics, we both disagree with each other.

I don't feel special. I just know that when I call T-Mobile I don't have to go through customer service, and I can talk to people at RIM anytime I want. When I send them an e-mail, I get a response. Special or not, that is something that a corporate account can do, and a pro/con/whatever can't.

And you pay what, $1500-$2000 a year in support for the privilage of getting your emails answered? There is a big difference in paying to get a higher level of support from a company, and being the focus of their development efforts. Did corporate admins request the ability to use the BB as a modem? No, they see it as a huge security hole, and don't like it, yet that is a feature RIM added. Did corporate admins request the ability to save images as a wallpaper? No, they see that as frivolous, but RIM added it anyway. Did corporate admins request the ability to access a TCP/IP stack through the BWC? No, they see that as both frivolous and a security hole, yet RIM added it. I could go on, but I think you get the point.

Every step of the development of the past two years clearly shows that RIM is trying to bring the BB up to speed to compete in the individual smartphone market. Yet, you still maintain that they could care less about individual clients, because enterprise clients are their sole business focus?

Yes, one business client will always be more important in a support scenario than any one individual user, because the business user represents hundreds of lines he can terminate at once. However, in a development enveiroment the tables are completely turned, because the needs of corporate clients can move hundreds of thousands of units, but the needs of individual users can move millions of units.

[CaptnBlackberry]

T-Mo is the number one provider of Blackberry worldwide. How scary is that considering that they ARE the smallest provider of corporate services. That means that they ARE catering to the individuals, look at their handsets... cool, game-like, and inexpensive, where AT&T always was about data (PCMCIA card) speeds, and private APNs.... but the unlimted data plan was $44.99, and T-Mo is only $29.99....

Go figure.

[NJBlackBerry]

Originally posted by ubik
but the needs of individual users can move millions of units.

Wow - now you are the ones who must feel really special.

[Mark D. Rejhon]

T-Moble definitely is somewhat more vulnerable because of their relatively increased consumer focus over other carriers -- and they are the first seller of TCP/IP enabled BlackBerries. The numbers, either way, are sufficiently big enough for T-Mobile to notice, and they have (At least at some levels).

There are only about 2 million BlackBerry subscribers or so at the moment. That's still double the number of a year ago though! T-Mobile has less than a million, I think. Based on the forum posts versus lurkers, as well as software vendors, I would think the number is in the low 4-figures of unlimited T-Mobile BlackBerry users have been adversely affected at least one way or another (even as simple as a website stopping working, to only minor frustration). This is just a guesstimate though. Power users angry enough to call T-Mobile may number only in the hundreds today (This is the absolute minimum number, though, but this is rapidly growing, considering **************** did not exist before August.). I can confirm there are far more angry lurkers than angry forum posters. How much more, I can't say.