BBM in China (mainland)

[KarimLoutfy]

My Girlfriend moved to China yesterday for a 2 year Masters course and I managed to convince her to buy an 8520 so we could keep in touch. The problem is that the websites of all the Chinese network carriers are incredibly cryptic holding no useful information. I realise China has severely restricted Blackberry services but I just want to know how she can get her BBM working using a local service provider (she currently has a china mobile prepay sim). The other Blackberry services are not that important to me but BB Messenger is a must.

I hope you guys can lend me a hand

[Remsen]

In China , China Mobile or others company hasnot provided BIS for personal client. So you cannot use BBM with your girl. And I suggest you that you can use MSN ICQ or QQ, those will be also used in China Mobile network. Some more times, China Mobile will have a BIS plain, then your girl can join then.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[benze79]

i have a friend where by register with HongKong telco - with fix rate of Roaming within Hk & China.

She's able to use BBM

[yojosefo]

now china mobile offers BIS/BES from 98y month!

[Georgecox]

Sprint 9650 Bold.
I need the smartest of the smart to get me squared away.
I have been going to ShangHai monthly for 5 years. I go about 3 times a month & stay for 2 days.
I have had a China Mobile sim card I have been using since 2005 and the voice and SMS work just fine. I added a small data package (not BIS/BES) about 5 months ago and have never gotten it to work. My phone always has "edge" and I am not roaming.
If I take my sim card out and put it into an old 8100 I get data ok. If I put the sim card into an old Sony/Ericson I get data. I just can't get it on my Bold.

Went to China Mobile and compared one of their BB's to mine. I do not have the China Mobile service books. I've tried a hard reset several times and their SBs just don't get loaded.

I have been on the phone with Sprint, several times, and since it is not a Sprint sim card they say they can't run any diagnostics. They did send me 6 emails from "Activation Server" and told be they were for my service books and will help. I won't know until I go back in March.
One rep said to make sure I select the 2G option. I have been using the 3G/2G option.
Another rep said the Bold might simply be incompatable with their system. I wonder if my 5 year old sim card is a different technology.

Any suggestions?
George747

[woodoh]

Originally Posted by Georgecox

Sprint 9650 Bold.

Another rep said the Bold might simply be incompatable with their system. I wonder if my 5 year old sim card is a different technology.

Any suggestions?
George747

Yes, CDMA model BB seems have problem to have data connection with China Mobile network. Many people in China are also complaining the frequent dopped data connection even if they manage to load some service book. Though others solved the problem by regisering China mobile BIS service, which started from last month in major cities in Shanghai, Beijing.....

[ftg888]

Originally Posted by yojosefo

now china mobile offers BIS/BES from 98y month!

ok if you managed to sign up for it, please detail how you did it, the locals are somewhat stubborn about the products.

thanks

[woodoh]

Originally Posted by ftg888

ok if you managed to sign up for it, please detail how you did it, the locals are somewhat stubborn about the products.

thanks

In Shanghai or Beijing you can go to some China mobile store and ask for BIS service registration, I am not able to post the China mobile bb link here, you should be able to find it quite easy by asking a local friend, just go to China mobile Shanghai branch page and search using"blackberry"

The webpage is in Chinese---98RMB for 30M/month bb data plan, 108RMB/month for 50M bb data plan, 1rmb per Mbyte after, the fee is deducted monthly

[joujou07]

hi do they offer pre-paid BIS service along with minutes for someone just visiting China for 1 week?

I have verizon storm2 unlocked and will visit for 1 week - what does everyone suggest as my best option to have voice/data in Shanghai and be able to communicate with family back home here in usa?

[woodoh]

Originally Posted by joujou07

hi do they offer pre-paid BIS service along with minutes for someone just visiting China for 1 week?

I have verizon storm2 unlocked and will visit for 1 week - what does everyone suggest as my best option to have voice/data in Shanghai and be able to communicate with family back home here in usa?

Well, as I know, you can buy a prepaid SIM from China Mobile, quite low international call rate-- with a IP prefix(12593), you will get a 0.4rmb/min for calling US when you are in Shanghai. local SMS is 0.1rmb, SMS to US is1rmb.

As for data, it is bit tricky, data plan is 5rmb for 30Mbyte(china mobile works on GSM), but only 3rd party browser will work, other software depending on your BB setting which I am not sure. But not sure whether internet will work on your bb-- here a lot of bb user without BIS service have various dopped data connection issues.

If you are willing to pay for BIS service(deducted by month) as I mentioned in above, you can get BBM and push email. Now looks like subsribing to BIS is the only way to keep bb's data connection active.

[AK™]

or you could use a BIS from your own country, and get your gf to connect via WIFI.

http://forums.crackberry.com/other-carriers-worldwide-f75/blackberry-services-china-494271/#post6419333