TMobile Could Suspend Your US Service if you are away too long

Google Fi, on the other hand, cuts off data roaming when you've been out of the US for close to 90 days. (Mine has cut off several days before that time limit twice.) I retain calling and texting capability even if I'm in Europe for 4-1/2 months (as long as I've ever been there on a single trip). When I return to the US, I immediately have cellular-data access as well as all the other services.

Ive been here over a year now and my TMobile calliing and data are fine. But I know that changes when I get home. Not sure about the other carriers.

For T-Mobile, it has to be more than 3 months for them to cut off service as I have been gone for many 90 day periods and the service works as I get off the plane in the US.

You'll get cut off eventually because it costs the carrier too much to pay the foreign carrier for your use. I think I was here about a year. BUT, I only use my US phone for 2-factor ID or an important call, so it's fine on my home wifi. Unlike your experience, when my plane lands in the US, the US phone (Google) springs into action. Go figure....

A friend in Paris has used her Mint account the same way for a while. It's cheaper than Google, so I might change.

I am going on 19 months here now, and still working. I will be in a bad way if it stops.......

Oh, I have been told my NetFlix will get zapped eventually too......

I used to turn my T-mobile phone off more, I didn't have a use for it. Finally it stopped being able to send texts to another T-mobile user, don't think it took that long. Put up with it for over a month before finally biting the bullet and worked my way through two (three?) levels before I got somebody that wanted to try the usual things first but finally would do some kind of "reset" on their network (that she had access to) and it finally worked.

Other times, they've been sending me "Senior plans" that offer discounts. When you read the fine print it mentions being able to restrict your account during times of network heavy load. Turned them down but it might be signs of overload where they're cutting what corners they can to handle it.

TMobile is pretty clear that their international plans are not for extended use. That said, there are ways to get around it (sort of). On this Reddit thread, this is a discussion about it that might be helpful, James. I included a few other threads that also might be helpful, but bottom line, it sounds like what you need to do is stop the data roaming, turn it on airplane mode and just use it for texts and calls with wifi. Then they suggest using an eSIM for the data you will need.

The main trigger for excessive roaming warnings is data roaming. I know a few folks who have been overseas for a couple of years and if they keep data roaming turned off T-Mobile ignores them. Just turn on wifi calling and you will be fine. If however you try to use your phone normally with roaming data switched on you will have 2-3 months before T-Mobile starts to send you termination warnings. Note that there is no appeal for excessive roaming termination. Reps will not be able to intervene.

https://www.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/qkd9we/how_long_can_i_be_overseas_and_keep_my_tmobile/
https://www.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/14nx0sw/is_it_acceptable_to_use_tmobile_roaming_for_an/
https://www.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/15k623l/longterm_international_go_5g_plus_with_esim/

Pretty much what I have done. I only turn on the network when i travel outside Hungary as it works better than my Hungarian phone. I could live without the phone, but it is convenient. Going on 2 years with no problems. I posted more for tourists so they don't get surprised.

I read the thread title on the main page of the forum and shuddered as I sat in my South Carolina home that just recently got electricity but still has no wired internet service after Helene, using my T-mobile hotspot, thinking, "Oh, no. I'm losing that too?"

Sorry Dave

I've read--I think on this forum--that the reason Google Fi cuts off long-traveling users is not because it objects, but because of complaints from its roaming partners. The latter reportedly don't want long-term travelers using their service at the bulk rates negotiated by Fi; they want such travelers to pay retail for their SIMs/eSIMs.

That seems logical to me, because my Google Fi service has a flat monthly cost for calls and texts while I'm in the US (I pay about 25 cents per minute for calls when I'm in Europe), but there's an extra data charge of $10 per GB, even at home. That rate is a great deal higher than SIM/eSIM data rates, and I'd expect Fi to be very happy to accept my $40 or more per month in data-roaming fees while I'm in Europe, as opposed to the nearly $0 I pay for data roaming when I'm at home. Its decision to cut me off is probably due to pressure from elsewhere.

I have TMobile and it hasn’t been a problem when I get home after up to a 10 week trip. It’s good to know that at some point it may potentially be a problem though.

I haven’t seen your plan. I realize they say that, but I have never had a problem anywhere. I’ve used it. But I’ve never used it out of the country more than a couple of weeks,

but the throttling back has never been an issue and that includes having to use it as a hotspot to run my computer when Internet is down because my home Internet is from Xfinity a.k.a. is unreliable service number one.

However, I think your title is misleading because they suspended your US service not all US service as you implied by the title

Carol, they say it and it did occur. This happended about 2 years ago and I dont remember how long I was gone. 2 and half to 3 and a half months I presume.

Using TMobile I have no problems over here with speed or access or cost. Almost 2 years so far.

Mostly I leave the phone in airplane mode, except when I travel. Then I use it till it slows down (the 5GB of free high speed international allowance in my plan) then I buy a day ($5 512mb) or ten days ($35 5GB) or a month ($55 15GB) what ever I need.

I am not too worried. But we have a number of people taking longer trips these days and thought it was worth knowing, if in the event things didnt work when they got home.

It's only 40-45 euro a month for an unlimited Telecom sim. Why dink around with T-Mobile?

I have a local number too; Telekom.

The US TMobile serivce works so well for so many things that I haven't wanted to give it up yet.

Again, this post wasnt about me. Just letting people know what might happen if they stay gone too long, and how to fix it.

But here is an interesting anomaly on my Hungarian Telekom phone.
- I can call and text without additional charges to any place in the EU
- My data works fine anywhere in the EU
- I can receive phone calls and texts from anywhere in the world.
- When traveling outside the EU I can call call anywhere in the world
and my data works with some limitations.

BUT When home in Hungary, I CAN NOT CALL OR TEXT ANYONE OUTSIDE OF THE EU.
Went to Telekom to get an upgrade so I could call family in the US. Nope, isnt one.

Are the no-free -US-calls the carrier rules or Hungarian gov rules? Does it vary depending on the carrier?

In France, we have free calls to 100+ countries with the two French companies we have used.

I hope you can get that changed. Frustrating.

Its Telekom and its not "NO FREE" it is "NONE" just cant do it. Sort of crazy. I will change carriers some day. But as long as I have a working US phone its not a problem. To be honest, when I call the US, most of the time I want the person I am calling to see a US phone number. Its complicated but necessary for a few things.

The other advantage of my US phone is the data connections appears to others to be a US connection. There are certain sites on line that are blocked to anyone not with a US IP address. So sometimes I have to use my US phone data connection to do business.

Here is another oddity. When I use my US phone to call my Hungarian phone the number that appears on my Hungarian phone is not my number. But when I text from my US phone to my Hungarian phone it recognizes my US phone number. Very strange. Telekom is the Hungarian equivelent of TMobile so i was expecting some continuity. Nope

I investigated this before I switched to T mobile earlier this year.

"If more than half of your monthly voice, text, and/or data usage is on an international provider’s network for a billing cycle, you will receive a notification warning. If your international usage continues at the same rate for more than two months, you will receive another notification. After three months, you will be notified that your international data will be blocked."

This makes it sound like 2 months in a row, but elsewhere when I read about it I thought it meant any two months in a year.

A tip on reddit suggested you make sure to use a lot of cellular data before or after your trip while you are still at home even for shorter trips to avoid any problems. i.e. set a bunch of movies to watch, make a call to someone where you can leave the line open for a time, etc. Especially if you are usually a low data user at home.

"If more than half of your monthly voice, text, and/or data usage is
on an international provider’s network for a billing cycle, you will
receive a notification warning. If your international usage continues
at the same rate for more than two months, you will receive another
notification. After three months, you will be notified that your
international data will be blocked."

And yet I have been using it here for almost 2 years. The one instance I did have took effect when i returned home. I have never received any warnings or messages, just the bill as usual. And about every two or three months I travel and have gone in and added additional GB for the trip. But I do keep the data off 75% of the time. I am sure they will zap it when I go back to the States. Another good reason to stay here.

Stranger is the Telekom. While in Hungary, the country if issue, I cant call anyone outside of the EU ............ When I am outside of the EU it works. Worked fine in Australia and Malaysia. I could call anyplace in the world and the data worked.

Netflix will supposedly zap you after a while. I am waiting on that to happen.