[throstle]

All:

My first post to this site so please be gentle with me.....

Through my employer I have a Verizon Curve 8530. Next week I'll be off to Spain for 2 weeks and, naturally, want to maintain voice and data access. I've reviewed Verizon's site re: international voice/data services and I came away extremely confused.

So, all I want to know is:

a) Can I used my Verizon 8530 in Spain?
b) If so, what are the steps I need to follow to make this happen?

Thanks in advance.

Throstle

[mr_bb]

Welcome to Crackberry.

To answer your question:
No, you cannot use the verizon blackberry 8530 in Spain. The reason is that every network in spain runs on a different cellular technology called GSM. Verizon blackberrys run on CDMA technology.

In order to use your verizon service in Spain, you would need to rent a SIM card from verizon (they offer this service at certain stores) and put it into an unlocked GSM handset. You can get these off ebay (you will need something called a tri-band or quad-band phone which means it will work in Europe). Another option is that sometimes the United States GSM carriers (T-mobile and AT&T) have cheap tri/quad phones you can buy at full price online or in store.

[throstle]

No, you cannot use the verizon blackberry 8530 in Spain. The reason is that every network in spain runs on a different cellular technology called GSM. Verizon blackberrys run on CDMA technology.

In order to use your verizon service in Spain, you would need to rent a SIM card from verizon (they offer this service at certain stores) and put it into an unlocked GSM handset. You can get these off ebay (you will need something called a tri-band or quad-band phone which means it will work in Europe). Another option is that sometimes the United States GSM carriers (T-mobile and AT&T) have cheap tri/quad phones you can buy at full price online or in store.

Thanks for the info. Well, that's a major p1sser. Cell phones suck.

Cheers,
Throstle

[anon(140126)]

You can use the 8520, a GSM version of the 8530. There's some disadvantages, though, like no GPS, no 3G, etc.

[deth4uall]

The Tour, The Storm (1-2) and the Bold 9650 are World Editions which mean that they offer both CDMA and GSM techs as well as the Tri/Quad-band frequencies...

[jackbox]

You guys should check facts before answering. Renting a sim would be useless to this person. Verizon service doesn't roam in Spain, period. They don't roam in almost all of Europe also. Countries that you can use Verizon service in can be easily found by googling "Verizon international roaming."

[mr_bb]

You guys should check facts before answering. Renting a sim would be useless to this person. Verizon service doesn't roam in Spain, period. They don't roam in almost all of Europe also. Countries that you can use Verizon service in can be easily found by googling "Verizon international roaming."

You should check your facts before criticizing.

Verizon has a partnership for sim rental with Vodafone throughout Europe. I wasn't talking about using verizon service either. It's just so that this guy's American number would ring on the rental sim.

And yes, I could and should have also included that he could get a storm or bold 2 to maintain his verizon service in europe on a blackberry.