GSM vs CDMA

[thabiso90]

i wanted to know, is it possible to use a blackberry verizon as a normal regular blackberry phone?...i dont care about all the features of CDMA etc as im from south africa, i just want to utilise it as any regular blackberry that uses gsm and a sim card...this is referring to the blackberry internet service(BIS) setup.

[BigBadWulf]

Both types are normal, and you can use a VZW BlackBerry on GSM, so long as it's a world phone. That includes:
8830
9530
9550
9630
9650
All OS7 phones offered

[kbz1960]

Wulf. Will they get full speed with any of those phone on any gsm network? I know some cdma world phones will work on a gsm network but they are limited to 2g speeds due to frequencies used.

[thabiso90]

yeah, its on the list. i have the 9630...how do i go about the setup?

[BigBadWulf]

Originally Posted by kbz1960

Wulf. Will they get full speed with any of those phone on any gsm network? I know some cdma world phones will work on a gsm network but they are limited to 2g speeds due to frequencies used.

Excellent point. It's designed to work on most 3G networks, but I don't know which the OP will be on.


Wireless Networks
* Fully-functional World Phone that supports global roaming on 3G networks
* Quad-Band: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks
* Single-Band: 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA networks
* Dual-Band: 800/1900 MHz CDMA/EVDO Rev A networks

Originally Posted by thabiso90

yeah, its on the list. i have the 9630...how do i go about the setup?

Should be just a matter of inserting the SIM card, after contacting the carrier and acquiring a BlackBerry data plan. The phone would activate on their network, and deliver the service books required.

[CharlesH]

Originally Posted by BigBadWulf

Wireless Networks
* Fully-functional World Phone that supports global roaming on 3G networks
* Quad-Band: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks
* Single-Band: 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA networks
* Dual-Band: 800/1900 MHz CDMA/EVDO Rev A networks

The UMTS band restriction means that one cannot use UMTS/HSPA in North America with these phones. For example, on at&t, it is GSM/GPRS/EDGE only.

[blackberry-unlocking710]

The best thing to do is get a new unlocked GSM Blackberry such as the Bold 9790 or the Torch 9860 with OS7 and use it with any GSM carrier in your area.

You can unlock your Blackberry Tour and use it with SIM cards from other carrier but i think you will enjoy more if you will get a device that can work with the bands of the carrier you are willing to use at most.

[thabiso90]

i have a data plan, i also have a list of service books but the last 5 of them on the list dont seem to be active. is this a case of just calling my carrier and request they resend me service books???

[thabiso90]

no reply??? anyone???

[BigBadWulf]

Yes, you need to contact your carrier.

[BDKira]

I don't know why but when I got a 9930 for Verizon I brought here in Bangladesh and got it unlocked. Then went to try and get BIS services, I ordered the blackberry plan, etc but for some reasons the guys at grameenphone couldn't get it to work, even after I dialed ##000000 and changed my number. Can someone help me out? Right now I'm using it without BIS and am getting internet through Opera and for some reason mchat works but no email or native browser

[BigBadWulf]

Originally Posted by BDKira

I don't know why but when I got a 9930 for Verizon I brought here in Bangladesh and got it unlocked. Then went to try and get BIS services, I ordered the blackberry plan, etc but for some reasons the guys at grameenphone couldn't get it to work, even after I dialed ##000000 and changed my number. Can someone help me out? Right now I'm using it without BIS and am getting internet through Opera and for some reason mchat works but no email or native browser

Doesn't sound like you've received your service books. Have you logged on here, set up your email accounts, and sent the service books to yourself?

[muzichead]

Originally Posted by BigBadWulf

Both types are normal, and you can use a VZW BlackBerry on GSM, so long as it's a world phone. That includes:
8830
9530
9550
9630
9650
All OS7 phones offered

World phone or not, you can't use a Verizon phone on a U.S. GSM network without a plan from one of, (AT&T or T-Mobile), those networks..... The only reason they have GSM in them is for international use, and is still billed through the original, (Verizon), carrier......

[SwitchBeach]

Wrong, muzichead.

The GSM radios in the Verizon world phones (other than the 8830) will work on EDGE on GSM networks in North America. They are not only for international use. No 3G in North America, however.

They can be unlocked and used TMobile, AT&T, Rogers, Fido, etc in North America.

You would definitely need a proper data plan and the Service Books loaded from those carriers in order for it to work, however. And at that point it would not be "billed through Verizon".

None of that, however, has anything to do with the situation in the OP.

[muzichead]

Originally Posted by SwitchBeach

Wrong, muzichead.

The GSM radios in the Verizon world phones (other than the 8830) will work on EDGE on GSM networks in North America. They are not only for international use. No 3G in North America, however.

They can be unlocked and used TMobile, AT&T, Rogers, Fido, etc in North America.

You would definitely need a proper data plan and the Service Books loaded from those carriers in order for it to work, however. And at that point it would not be "billed through Verizon".

None of that, however, has anything to do with the situation in the OP.

Originally Posted by muzichead

World phone or not, you can't use a Verizon phone on a U.S. GSM network without a plan from one of, (AT&T or T-Mobile), those networks..... The only reason they have GSM in them is for international use, and is still billed through the original, (Verizon), carrier......

Not sure as to where I was wrong in this equation as you pointed out, (in different words), the exact thing I said.... The only fault I had was not pointing out that you would have to unlock the phone..... I don't see you correcting BigBadWulf for being wrong for the comment he or she made..... I was merely pointing out that the Verizon version of the phone "as is" will not work with a GSM carrier in the U.S. in its current form.... It is a CDMA phone with the other radio's built in "originally" for international use on an international network.....