How can I do this with alltel

[phonedude]

Hello

I am on my moms and dads alltel account. My contract is about to run out on my current phone. They dont have a data plan but i would like to have a black berry. Is there any way I could do that. Could I have my number taken off and get a blackberry on a data plan added to theirs just for the regular $10 a month or could I not. Please Help.

[readingteacher05]

Right now I have two blackberry devices and a flip phone with Alltel. You have to get one of their smartphone plans and it's $20 per non-smartphone device you have so $40 for your parents phones. But the last time I checked you have to have a data plan( smartphone plan) with Alltel
so
1200 Smartphone plan @ 109.99 + $40.00 for BB+ $20.00 for flip phone = about $169.99 without taxes and insurance

[phonedude]

Oh first thank you but is that because of the verizon merge or what?

[markhunsaker]

You have two choices. You can either pick a smartchoice plan or you can add BES/BIS services (BB service) for 44.99 a month extra and stay on your current plan.

If you have a Smartchoice plan it is more expensive to have more than 2 lines on...I think it's 20 a month per line. But BES/BIS is included.

If you stay on your current plan, additional lines are 9.99 but you add 44.99 for BB service.

So those are your two options.

If you want a phone with the internet and e-mail you can always pick up a WinMo phone. The same charges apply UNLESS you picked it up at FULL retail. By doing so, you are no longer "required" to have a data package or a Smartchoice plan. You can add unlimited data for only 9.99 a month. You can do this because Alltel does not bill per KB like all other carriers. They bill per minute you are using the dial up data connection. 9.99 gets you the Connect 1 package which pretty much means you have unlimited data minutes and they are not counted against your monthly daytime minutes.

Good luck.

Unfortunately, Alltel does not have a different price for Blackberry services (i.e. 44.99 for BES and 29.99 for BIS). If you didn't know BES is the enterprise server for businesses and BIS is for individuals. If you have BIS you cannot connect to corporate servers.

[Kaylajoy21]

If you are up for renewal, I would actually take your parents into a corp retail store so you can really have someone look at the bill for you. It depends on a case-by-case basis how much more expensive the data plan is. I see for some people it really makes no difference and others it does.

[phonedude]

what is winmo. Is that windows mobile. No offense to the blackberry forum but does that include the motorola q9c. If it does cand i do the option to keep my plan like markhunsaker said i could but not be charged the 44.99

[markhunsaker]

Winmo phones are any phones that run Windows Mobile OS. For example: Palm Treos, Motorola Q, HTC Touch, HTC Pro, etc.

Like I said before, you can keep your current calling plan and add ublimited data for just 9.99. BUT you can't get the phone at a subsizidied price. YOU HAVE TO BUY THE PHONE AT FULL RETAIL. If you buy it with a discount, you will HAVE to add a data package of 44.99 or change to a smartchoice plan. Go to eBay or craigslist to pick one up for less than full retail at a corp store.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[markhunsaker]

Sorry forgot one thing, if you do buy a windows mobile device at full retail or ebay (not with any corp discount or upgrade discount) than you are not required to have an data package. BlackBerrys all require data whether you purchased it with or without a discount. That's what RIM (Research in Motion) has put in place not Alltel.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[phonedude]

Thank you but im still in between going with a reular phone and a smart phone