[JHGoodman]

Background -

My Blackberry World Edition is an Alltel phone and one of 5 lines on
our family plan. We still have our Alltel plan through Verizon
because my parents are old and can't figure out how to switch phones
and my brothers both have recently upgraded Alltel phones and don't
want to switch either--seems pointless to spend another few hundred
dollars on phones at this point for them.

Alltel's plan that we have include unlimited data so I don't pay any
extra for my Blackberry. The plans on Verizon are a bit cheaper but
apparently unlimited data costs an extra $30/month for a net change of
nearly $0 if we were to switch over entirely and have 5 voice lines
with one having unlimited data.

Issue -- I REALLY want the new Blackberry Tour--it looks sweet and my
World Edition is starting to fade. It shuts off several times per day
and can no longer keep up with my typing on bbm and emails without a
severe lag that often creates typing errors (that I didn't make) that
I have to go back and fix.

Problem is that apparently the Verizon people have no idea if the
Alltel "code" will operate a Verizon Blackberry such that I get
unlimited data for free. I don't want to get stuck with a $8,000 bill
for data because their code messed up but I don't want to add $30 a
month to my father's cell phone bill--I already feel guilty that he
still pays it for me.

One possible solution I have thought up is to ditch my USB stick and
use my new Blackberry Tour tethered to my computer for internet. That
would save about $45/month just for having a USB stick instead of
using the BB. I have a MacBook running OS X Version 10.5.7.

Questions:

#1 - Anyone have any idea if the Alltel "code" will operate a Verizon
Blackberry so that I don't have to pay $30/month for data? You'd
think the Verizon people would know this but they don't appear to...

#2 - Can one tether a BB Tour to a Mac?

#3 - If you can tether the Tour to a Mac, which I believe VZW charges
$15/month for, can I do that if I stay on an Alltel plan? Or does
anyone know if Alltel included that also? If they did I feel like I
could make a good case for forcing Verizon to honor that.

#4 - Is the internet tethered through a Blackberry (and the Tour is
supposedly fully 3G) going to be slower than what I get with my USB stick?

Thanks to anyone with any answers...

[JHGoodman]

Also - we've had this account open since 1989 -- first with Sprint Centel, then Centel, then 360 Communications, then something else, then Alltel and now Verizon - any way they'll upgrade us to Verizon VIP? Family plan bill is ~$220 a month and haven't had a late bill since the day the account was open.

[bubbarob1978]

Background -

My Blackberry World Edition is an Alltel phone and one of 5 lines on
our family plan. We still have our Alltel plan through Verizon
because my parents are old and can't figure out how to switch phones
and my brothers both have recently upgraded Alltel phones and don't
want to switch either--seems pointless to spend another few hundred
dollars on phones at this point for them.

Alltel's plan that we have include unlimited data so I don't pay any
extra for my Blackberry. The plans on Verizon are a bit cheaper but
apparently unlimited data costs an extra $30/month for a net change of
nearly $0 if we were to switch over entirely and have 5 voice lines
with one having unlimited data.

Issue -- I REALLY want the new Blackberry Tour--it looks sweet and my
World Edition is starting to fade. It shuts off several times per day
and can no longer keep up with my typing on bbm and emails without a
severe lag that often creates typing errors (that I didn't make) that
I have to go back and fix.

Problem is that apparently the Verizon people have no idea if the
Alltel "code" will operate a Verizon Blackberry such that I get
unlimited data for free. I don't want to get stuck with a $8,000 bill
for data because their code messed up but I don't want to add $30 a
month to my father's cell phone bill--I already feel guilty that he
still pays it for me.

One possible solution I have thought up is to ditch my USB stick and
use my new Blackberry Tour tethered to my computer for internet. That
would save about $45/month just for having a USB stick instead of
using the BB. I have a MacBook running OS X Version 10.5.7.

Questions:

#1 - Anyone have any idea if the Alltel "code" will operate a Verizon
Blackberry so that I don't have to pay $30/month for data? You'd
think the Verizon people would know this but they don't appear to...

#2 - Can one tether a BB Tour to a Mac?

#3 - If you can tether the Tour to a Mac, which I believe VZW charges
$15/month for, can I do that if I stay on an Alltel plan? Or does
anyone know if Alltel included that also? If they did I feel like I
could make a good case for forcing Verizon to honor that.

#4 - Is the internet tethered through a Blackberry (and the Tour is
supposedly fully 3G) going to be slower than what I get with my USB stick?

Thanks to anyone with any answers...

I can only help a bit but I do not believe you can tether with a mac without some work-arounds.. I found this post on here...

http://forums.crackberry.com/f61/how...-manager-7373/

I do tether on my windows PC and get 1.2mb/sec down 500kb/s up on a fairly busy tower with my new Tour. This is far better than what I got with my Curve at 400kb/s down and 100kb/s up.

[e0119598]

The code u have in the alltel billing system allowed for u to have unlimited data w/o charging u per min. For airtime usage..now with the merger going through you are able to have a vzw device with an alltel plan, but the billing structure on the vzw side charges 1.99 per mb if u don't have that 30 feature. So it is possible u would just be charged 1.99 per mb for your data usage. What area are u in? If you're in the south region the merge has already gone into effect which would make your switch to the tour a whole lot easier and less of a headache for you. Hope that helps

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[JHGoodman]

I'm in Charlottesville, VA

[e0119598]

Ok. So I believe that was the first market to merge into vzw billing system. In that case they should honor your contract that you had w/ alltel and allow u to purchase a tour even though the other phones on on your account are still alltel devices. I'm a sales rep for vzw now and was a rep for alltel for 3 yrs. I'm on vacation right now, and our market just merged 2 days ago, so ill know definite specifics next week but to my understanding you shouldn't have a problem getting that phone if you're eligible for upgrd.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[JHGoodman]

But I'm still going to have to pay $30/month for data even though the cost of unlimited data is built in to the Alltel plan?

Alternatively, can we just switch over to a VZW plan and the other 4 members of my family keep their phones? Would they need to go in if we can do this or can I just go switch it?

[JHGoodman]

OK the VZW rep still just told me they're "not sure" if I need the $30/month data plan... anyone know for sure?

[Motorcycle Mama]

Go to your MyVerizon account online and it should allow you to upgrade your device and stay on your Alltel plan.

[lennonownsaBB]

I though I read somewhere that alltel was getting the tour. Maybe waiting till it is released on alltel would be an option

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[brandonx1000]

i'm a vzw rep...you may need to change the entire plan depending on what device you get. i was able to add an env2 to an alltel account, but when i tried adding an omnia, i had to change it to verizon because of the $30 plan

for tethering, you either need to add $30 if you have the $30 data plan, or $15 if you have the $45 corp data plan...either way, your end result in data will equal $60

[JR_Rider]

Go to your MyVerizon account online and it should allow you to upgrade your device and stay on your Alltel plan.

The issue is whether he will be charged per minute when using data, not whether he is technically able to do it. He can most certainly upgrade to the Tour while remaining on an Alltel plan. The customer service supervisor I spoke with yesterday after speaking with several customer service reps had some interesting information that I have yet to validate with anyone else. The problem with speaking to many of the reps is that they receive commission for new contracts so ultimately that is their goal is to sign people into new contracts. We have seven lines of service with Alltel on a business account so if they can convince us to switch all those lines over they will receive more commission than if I did just one upgrade. The funny thing is though there is a Verizon 9530 on our line that has been there for 2 months and it has yet to affect the bill in terms of additional minutes being charged against it. So I am wondering is the Verizon system really able to tell the difference since they think there is an Alltel Blackberry on the account when in actuality there is not. When the bill comes out on the 24th I will know for certain if this "minutes charged for using data with a Verizon phone on an Alltel plan is hogwash or not."

[DjDrew]

I have a blackberry tour on an alltel smartchoice plan. I did not have to change any aspect of my pricing plan. So you should be just fine. I currently have a tour and a alltel 8330 on the same smartchoice plan.

[TheMiz]

Crossing my fingers that the TOUR will soon be at ALLTEL

[sodequis]

As a person that was formerly on alltel and then forced to move to vzw I have a bit of insight on this. you can upgrade to a VZW tour if you are technically a customer of vzw now. If you have other 'alltel' branded phones on the same plan though, the plan will have to stay a smartchoice plan until the point that all the phones are vzw branded ones.

Fair warning though... the 10$ tethering fee that alltel had with unlimited tethering... is still unlimited for 10$ for as long as you use an alltel BB but the moment you switch, vzw's system automatically drops the tethering and you will be forced to pick up their 30$ 5gig capped tethering service. No getting around that. You will also not be able to use visual voicemail with the tour. VZW disables that as something to encourage you to switch their plans...

This is all straight from the reps mouth that I spoke with and exactly what I went through. Which I'm pretty happy with. Alltel's plans are way better priced for smartphones than vzw is, even with the tethering.

p.s. They will NOT pro-rate termination fees for lines that are on non vzw plans. So the 200$ alltel termination fee is there even if you cancel a line a day before the contract ends. If you were on vzw plans, it's 175$ termination minus 5$ per month.