[ocgltd]

I've read conflicting advice on this, some hopefully someone with experience can reply (or link to a posting with the right answer).

I have a BB with a data plan. I will be traveling to Europe and will KEEP my current plan active, BUT, I hope to buy a local SIM card for text/voice/data. Since my home data plan is still active, I will still have a BB id and PIN, same email, etc. all still associated with the BES at the office for email.

So my question is (hopefully this is really clear):
If a buy a voice/text/data monthly SIM card in europe, will my BBM and BES email still work? This SIM should simply offers a data pipe (like wifi at home)!

As a corollary, if I turn off my mobile radio and leave wifi on, then BBM and email still work for me! So wouldn't a regular data plan do the same?

[canarianfrank]

I'm no expert (So maybe I shouldn't post)....But I think you'll be fine for using the new sim abroad for everything other than BIS.

As part of your BB Data Plan you pay your mobile provider to use it over their network - if you are abroad and you are using a sim from a different provider then there will be no BB Data plan associated with the SIM I think

You should still be able to use BBM etc on wifi, as that doesn't go through a mobile providers system though.

[ocgltd]

I think your response is off track....a foreign SIM is nothing but a data pipe (just like a WiFi connection at home). If I turn off the mobile radio, but leave wifi radio on, the BBM and Email and Browsing work fine.

With a foreign SIM with voice/text/data plan, wouldn't everything BB data related still work fine? (No BIS required).

[robsteve]

I think you still need the home sim in the phone to get BIS even over Wifi. Since the BIS is associated with the SIM's serial number, I assume even over wifi, it needs to provide this number so that the phone can access the home carriers BIS service. The BIS service is provisioned to the SIM, not the phone. No SIM in the phone, no BIS.

A lot has also changed with the newer OS7 phones in regards to switching SIMS and then having to log back into the BlackBerryID prior to the phone being able to be used. This brings in a logistics of making sure you have a data connection before you switch SIM cards. If you fail to be able to log into BBID, it will wipe the phone.

If you have the choice, perhaps bring an old Blackberry to use the foreign SIM cards in. On your home SIM based Blackberry, turn off data roaming and maybe even the radio and then use that phone only over wifi for your Blackberry services. I had a friend do that a few years ago at a resort and when he went through the lobby near the wifi his phone (Bold 9000) would get the emails pushed to it over wifi.

[ocgltd]

I don't use BIS so I won't hit that hurdle. I noticed when switching carriers (thus SIMs) that I was prompted for my BB username and password again, but that was all.

I can't imaging 2 phones coming with me...sounds like I will have to experiment before I go. Maybe I can find a local carrier with disposable SIM's with data by the month. (I see you're in Canada too - any idea who offers those)?

[T�nis]

A lot has also changed with the newer OS7 phones in regards to switching SIMS and then having to log back into the BlackBerryID prior to the phone being able to be used. This brings in a logistics of making sure you have a data connection before you switch SIM cards. If you fail to be able to log into BBID, it will wipe the phone ...

Does this mean that on an OS 7 phone it wouldn't be possible to do what I do? I use my primary CDMA network for calls and BIS. I sometimes switch the mobile network to GSM and use a prepaid SIM card with no data for sending international texts. Would doing that wipe an OS 7 device?