diff --git a/lib/helper/Appium.js b/lib/helper/Appium.js
index c3eda9e3d..222ada79d 100644
--- a/lib/helper/Appium.js
+++ b/lib/helper/Appium.js
@@ -978,11 +978,23 @@ class Appium extends Webdriver {
    */
   async setNetworkConnection(value) {
     onlyForApps.call(this, supportedPlatform.android)
-    return this.browser.execute('mobile: setConnectivity', {
+    const connectivity = {
       airplaneMode: !!(value & 1),
       wifi: !!(value & 2),
       data: !!(value & 4),
-    })
+    }
+    // `mobile: setConnectivity` runs `adb shell svc data <state>` for every field it receives,
+    // which fails with "Can't find service: phone" on images without telephony (e.g. tablets).
+    // Only a positive result is cached: a freshly booted device may not have registered a carrier
+    // yet, and caching that would strip `data` for the whole session.
+    if (!this._hasTelephony) {
+      const deviceInfo = await this.browser.execute('mobile: deviceInfo')
+      this._hasTelephony = !!deviceInfo?.carrierName
+    }
+    // Keep `data` on telephony-capable devices, otherwise the device stays online over cellular
+    // and going offline silently does nothing.
+    if (!this._hasTelephony) delete connectivity.data
+    return this.browser.execute('mobile: setConnectivity', connectivity)
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/test/unit/helper/Appium_networkConnection_test.js b/test/unit/helper/Appium_networkConnection_test.js
index 1930fd47a..7299b28a7 100644
--- a/test/unit/helper/Appium_networkConnection_test.js
+++ b/test/unit/helper/Appium_networkConnection_test.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { expect } from 'chai'
 import sinon from 'sinon'
 import Appium from '../../../lib/helper/Appium.js'
 
-function createApp() {
+function createApp(deviceInfo = { carrierName: 'T-Mobile' }) {
   const app = new Appium({
     platform: 'Android',
     desiredCapabilities: {
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ function createApp() {
     },
   })
   app.browser = { execute: sinon.stub() }
+  app.browser.execute.withArgs('mobile: deviceInfo').resolves(deviceInfo)
   return app
 }
 
@@ -44,6 +45,29 @@ describe('Appium #setNetworkConnection, #grabNetworkConnection', () => {
     expect(app.browser.execute.calledWith('mobile: setConnectivity', { airplaneMode: false, wifi: false, data: false })).to.be.true
   })
 
+  it('should omit data on devices without telephony', async () => {
+    const app = createApp({ carrierName: '' })
+    await app.setNetworkConnection(1)
+    expect(app.browser.execute.calledWith('mobile: setConnectivity', { airplaneMode: true, wifi: false })).to.be.true
+  })
+
+  it('should probe telephony again while no carrier was seen yet', async () => {
+    const app = createApp({ carrierName: '' })
+    await app.setNetworkConnection(1)
+    app.browser.execute.withArgs('mobile: deviceInfo').resolves({ carrierName: 'T-Mobile' })
+    await app.setNetworkConnection(2)
+    expect(app.browser.execute.withArgs('mobile: deviceInfo').callCount).to.equal(2)
+    expect(app.browser.execute.calledWith('mobile: setConnectivity', { airplaneMode: false, wifi: true, data: false })).to.be.true
+  })
+
+  it('should probe telephony only once after a carrier was seen', async () => {
+    const app = createApp()
+    await app.setNetworkConnection(1)
+    await app.setNetworkConnection(6)
+    expect(app.browser.execute.withArgs('mobile: deviceInfo').callCount).to.equal(1)
+    expect(app.browser.execute.calledWith('mobile: setConnectivity', { airplaneMode: false, wifi: true, data: true })).to.be.true
+  })
+
   it('should grab network connection using mobile: getConnectivity and map to legacy bitmask shape', async () => {
     const app = createApp()
     app.browser.execute.resolves({ airplaneMode: false, wifi: false, data: true })