Apple’s iPhone is the first mobile phone that’s meant to have an always-on internet connection. I think it’s designed for full internet connectivity and bundled with an unlimited data plan in the US.

However, when it was released in the Philippines, there’s no unlimited internet or data connection available. Instead, the local carrier had subscription plans that bundled limited data connection, either billed by the minute or by KB.

Before launch, the configuration for the local iPhone 3G did not provide for the functionality to edit the Access Point Name (APN), the gateway used to allow the device to connect to the data network.

I remember asking the local carrier about the possible problems that this limitation may bring and the answer was that they were prepared to give rebates to customers because of this limitation.

Fortunately, I was able to find a way to go around this limitation and prevent the phone from connecting (and being charged) to the data network by modifying the APN.

It did not take long before a new configuration was released that allowed access to the APN settings. By default, the APN is set to a valid gateway address.

The local carrier will not tell you how to access and disable this setting -- unless you ask for it. Can’t it be set to a non-working APN to be on the safe side?

As expected, iPhone users get billed in the thousands of pesos! Now here comes the main issue -- several folks I know think that there really is something wrong with the local telco’s system.
Why? Because even with their APN set to an invalid gateway address, they were charged for UNUSED data (phantom connections?).

Two of my good friends, Bani Lara and Myra Jill Siason, experienced the same thing -- with their APNs set to an invalid gateway. And theirs is even worse because they have never used their iPhone for mobile data connection!

Now here comes the clincher -- the local telco’s customer service representatives (CSR) put the blame on Apple and its iPhone, rather than their system. They say that even with an invalid APN, the iPhone will still connect to their mobile data network, and hence, be charged for usage.

Several questions now come to mind. Apple, did you intentionally make the APN settings editable with no effect whatsoever? Was the iPhone designed to be a data hog and money making machine for telcos with no option for the user to turn off its mobile data connection?

To the local telco, can you please provide each subscriber with access to detailed and itemized account of each data connection made, with date & time, duration or data usage, data charges?

You have a portal where we can check our latest bill, please provide it there and just send us a summarized version of our bill (to save on paper) via post. Remember, as a subscriber, this is within our rights to know, in detail, what we are paying for.