Without net access, a BlackBerry is no better than any ordinary cellphone. Don't waste your money. Plus your teen will be endlessly frustrated at all the apps he / she can't use.
EDIT: I'll leave this thread open for people to post alternative solutions, dissenting opinions, etc, but if it degenerates into flaming the OP for his parenting style, lack of trust of his teen, whatever, I'll close it.
Last edited by JeffH; 10-06-08 at 12:43 PM.
Reason: Mod Alert
Without net access, a BlackBerry is no better than any ordinary cellphone. Don't waste your money. Plus your teen will be endlessly frustrated at all the apps he / she can't use.
EDIT: I'll leave this thread open for people to post alternative solutions, dissenting opinions, etc, but if it degenerates into flaming the OP for his parenting style, lack of trust of his teen, whatever, I'll close it.
I agree...Most places require you to purchase the data plan anyway when you get a Blackberry. Just get a regular cellphone or one of those pay as you go phones.
I don't have the answer, but I don't think the OP was asking for an opinion about whether they should get their teen a BB. They were asking if it's possible to block or filter the net. I thought I had read somewhere that there was, but I'd like to know the answer, too.
If your carrier allows, you can have the phone without the Blackberry Internet Service or BIS. Alltel cannot do this, or so i was told. I have read that Verizon is unable to do this either. It has to do with adding a BB to the service and the service automatically adding the BIS plan.
BlackBerry Unite is supposed to allow you to control what can and can't be done on each BB connected. Most people seem to have an issue with not being able to get net access after installing due to the IT policy blocking all net access, inadvertently achieving what is be requested here. BBUnite is supposed to be allow for this type of control, but I haven't used it myself so not sure on the specific issues that people have run into.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
Well Tmobile has a web blocker thing that's free and it is like a content filter that you can install on a computer. Then you could let him have the internet access with the peace of mind of a content filter
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com