ntelos curve 8330 on verizon

[wesware]

i've acquired a ntelos curve 8330 and i would like to use it on my current carrier which is verizon. anybody have any advice on whether i can do this and how i may go about unlocking the curve 8330 if it is possible to use it on verizon?

Thx

[lak611]

You cannot. VZW (and most CDMA carriers) have a database of ESNs with their branding. VZW will not activate any device that is not in the database. If your carrier is VZW, you must use a device that is branded to VZW.

[wesware]

Thanks for the reply. Kinda figured that was the case but I just wanted to verify. Oh well, it was a free phone anyway.

[lak611]

Originally Posted by wesware

Thanks for the reply. Kinda figured that was the case but I just wanted to verify. Oh well, it was a free phone anyway.

Your best option would be to sell the device to somebody who has ntelos.

[MisterObvious]

And you could buy an 8330 if you wanted one on Verizon.

[wesware]

So unlocking the phone still wouldn't allow me to use it on any other network but ntelos? Are there only certain BlackBerry's that can be unlocked and used on another network? Just trying to understand.

[lak611]

Originally Posted by wesware

So unlocking the phone still wouldn't allow me to use it on any other network but ntelos? Are there only certain BlackBerry's that can be unlocked and used on another network? Just trying to understand.

There is nothing to unlock. Unlocking means being able to use any GSM carrier's SIM card in the device. So you can only unlock devices that are GSM-only, or dual GSM/CDMA. The 8330 is CDMA only, and does not use a SIM card.

Even if you had an ntelos 9630 or 9650 (I don't even know if ntelos sells those), you could not use it on VZW, since the SIM cards are for use on GSM carriers. CDMA does not use SIM cards for their networks (the SIM cards in 9630, 9650, 9530, and 9550 are for international roaming, since most countries overseas do not have CDMA), and VZW will not activate any devices with other carrier's branding.

If you had a VZW 9630, 9530, 9550, or 9650, you could unlock it to use on T-Mobile or AT&T, but you could not use it on Sprint. Since Sprint is CDMA, they will not allow VZW branded devices on their network either.

I hope this helps.

[ridesno159]

Unlocking refers to GSM phones (uses a SIM card), and Verizon is a CDMA carrier (doesn't use SIM cards). A CDMA phone can't be unlocked. There are phones on Verizon that are called "World Phones" the 95XX, 96XX, and the 8830 are the ones that have both GSM and CDMA radios in them. They can be unlocked and used on different carriers while traveling. The 8330 isn't one of these though. As was said, your only option is to sell the phone, and use the cash to buy a Verizon 8330, because Verizon will ONLY activate phones that are theirs.