1. ciprianmuresan's Avatar
    Everyone,

    I spent a few hours at Verizon yesterday and we could not get my Passport to work on their network. I am in Reno in case someone wants to check out the bands here. They (Verizon reps) did admit that they are phasing out CDMA and moving to more conventional bands but it will take years. I gave up and walked across the street and had AT&T put the Passport on my family share plan. Works great on their 4G network. In addition, I actually had a Blackberry rep call me this morning asking how I liked my new Passport and if there were any questions. I asked about Verizon and she confessed that she has heard that question a lot and has no real answer. Only that the "higher ups" told her to say "more things are coming". She said that in a way that would lead me to believe that this does not include Verizon compatible Passports. So, I am not holding my breath and will just use it on AT&T for now. Sorry guys.

    Kurt
    That's exactly what I expected.
    09-26-14 11:48 AM
  2. dpeters11's Avatar
    I was disappointed, but have gone ahead and bought a used Verizon Z30 to replace my Z10. If they come out with anything, I'll have an upgrade available when it happens.
    09-26-14 01:07 PM
  3. itzJustMeh's Avatar
    look at it from my side.. what is wrong with your carriers, that a phone company should make a model just for them? There are thousands of carriers around the world, imagine if all of them would have "special requirements"
    09-26-14 02:38 PM
  4. TommyBB's Avatar
    I'm also a disappointed VZW customer and I'm not even a keyboard guy! This was a huge error on VZW's part.
    09-26-14 02:45 PM
  5. scipizoa's Avatar
    Heh well until I save up for the passport vzw lost me and my number to tracfone. So yes very bad error.

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
    09-26-14 02:50 PM
  6. lift's Avatar
    Saw this posted on Reddit.



    -RYknow
    The person on Reddit was wrong. The SIM identifies you to Verizon and also checks if the device is in fact a valid Verizon device. So no. Dropping a valid SIM into a non-Verizon phone will get you nothing at all. It will just say invalid SIM. No LTE. Nothing.
    09-26-14 02:54 PM
  7. raino's Avatar
    look at it from my side.. what is wrong with your carriers, that a phone company should make a model just for them? There are thousands of carriers around the world, imagine if all of them would have "special requirements"
    Valid point, but Verizon is not any run-of-the-mill carrier from around the world.

    Regardless, this problem is going to be somewhat mitigated by Verizon going all-LTE with new phones in 2016. I say 'somewhat' because Verizon is still the largest user of LTE band 13, which replaces one relatively obscure tech spec (CDMA) with another. But putting band 13 in a phone is not going to be as much work as designing a CDMA phone. Whether Verizon allows these devices voLTE, or on their LTE band 4 network remains to be seen.

    The person on Reddit was wrong. The SIM identifies you to Verizon and also checks if the device is in fact a valid Verizon device. So no. Dropping a valid SIM into a non-Verizon phone will get you nothing at all. It will just say invalid SIM. No LTE. Nothing.
    Have you tried the IMEI swap workaround? It may work! Apparently this is an extra step (or few) required for devices whose only in on Verizon is the "open" band 13.
    09-26-14 03:15 PM
  8. lift's Avatar
    Have you tried the IMEI swap workaround? It may work! Apparently this is an extra step (or few) required for devices whose only in on Verizon is the "open" band 13.
    I have not personally tried that, But, I know someone that works at Verizon. They told me for sure that even if the phone has the proper LTE bands for Verizon it still will not work unless it is a VERIZON BRANDED phone with a valid Verizon IMEI. Verizon and Sprint are like this. They are very protective about what phones they will allow on their network.
    Sorry to upset all you Verizon people that want this version of the Passport to work on Verizon. No matter what you try, it will not work according to my friend at Verizon. I am a Verizon Z30 user by the way.
    09-26-14 03:21 PM
  9. raino's Avatar
    I have not personally tried that, But, I know someone that works at Verizon. They told me for sure that even if the phone has the proper LTE bands for Verizon it still will not work unless it is a VERIZON BRANDED phone with a valid Verizon IMEI. Verizon and Sprint are like this. They are very protective about what phones they will allow on their network.
    This is true of Sprint--their networks are completely closed off (although, I wonder if anyone's actually tried one of those Chinese b41 phones on Sprint's b41 network...) But Verizon has one opening, although a very limited one: LTE band 13. VZW is required to allow any b13 device on their b13 LTE network. Your VZW contact is also correct about a Verizon IMEI being required--that's what the swap gets around. You perform an activation using a Verizon IMEI (the floor model,) and then put the SIM card in your phone. Of course, it won't get you much because voice is still over CDMA, but data should work.
    09-26-14 03:32 PM
  10. stooy leown's Avatar
    Everyone,

    I spent a few hours at Verizon yesterday and we could not get my Passport to work on their network. I am in Reno in case someone wants to check out the bands here. They (Verizon reps) did admit that they are phasing out CDMA and moving to more conventional bands but it will take years. I gave up and walked across the street and had AT&T put the Passport on my family share plan. Works great on their 4G network. In addition, I actually had a Blackberry rep call me this morning asking how I liked my new Passport and if there were any questions. I asked about Verizon and she confessed that she has heard that question a lot and has no real answer. Only that the "higher ups" told her to say "more things are coming". She said that in a way that would lead me to believe that this does not include Verizon compatible Passports. So, I am not holding my breath and will just use it on AT&T for now. Sorry guys.

    Kurt
    Does LTE work? Or just 4G? Some are saying no LTE and others no problems. When bringing in onto att.

    Q10SQN100-2/10.3.0.1154 - CB10
    09-26-14 03:36 PM
  11. JLErwin3's Avatar
    It's even more disappointing for those of us on Sprint, since even if Verizon works with Blackberry to commit to buying Passports with CDMA radios, I have zero confidence that Sprint would do so. I'm just waiting for my wife's contract on Sprint to expire next month so we can shop around for a better network. I've been on Verizon and AT&T in the past, and they are good enough, but no US carriers are all that great.
    09-26-14 04:45 PM
  12. raino's Avatar
    Does LTE work? Or just 4G? Some are saying no LTE and others no problems. When bringing in onto att.
    People are saying LTE doesn't work on AT&T? Could you post a link to where you saw this? Thanks.
    09-26-14 05:07 PM
  13. lift's Avatar
    VZW is required to allow any b13 device on their b13 LTE network.
    Raino, you are definitely very knowledgeable but here I have to disagree unless you have a link that shows that information. My understanding about the band 13 LTE requirement was that Verizon had to make all their phones SIM unlocked, but that was so anyone could use a Verizon phone on other GSM networks. Not so anyone could use a NON-Verizon phone on Verizon's LTE network. The Passport does indeed have band 13 LTE, but as some here have said, it will not work on Verizon's network. As I suspected. The IMEI is not only checked by Verizon for a Blacklisted number, but it is also checked against their data base of Verizon Branded devices. If it is not in their database, no go.
    09-26-14 05:13 PM
  14. raino's Avatar
    Raino, you are definitely very knowledgeable but here I have to disagree unless you have a link that shows that information.
    This is the link that shows how you activate an "unapproved" band 13 device on Verizon: How To Activate An LTE Nexus 7 On Verizon Wireless
    flyersfan76 likes this.
    09-26-14 05:24 PM
  15. valleyag's Avatar
    Just an idea. Maybe if all the Verizon guys start tweeting, emailing and Facebook AT&T and ask them if they'll buy you out of your contract with Verizon if you purchase a new Passport and sign a 2 year agreement. Maybe if enough people did it AT&T would consider it. Like I said, just an idea.

    Rockin Z30 running 10.3.0.1154
    09-26-14 06:20 PM
  16. robert_in_la's Avatar
    This is true of Sprint--their networks are completely closed off (although, I wonder if anyone's actually tried one of those Chinese b41 phones on Sprint's b41 network...) But Verizon has one opening, although a very limited one: LTE band 13. VZW is required to allow any b13 device on their b13 LTE network. Your VZW contact is also correct about a Verizon IMEI being required--that's what the swap gets around. You perform an activation using a Verizon IMEI (the floor model,) and then put the SIM card in your phone. Of course, it won't get you much because voice is still over CDMA, but data should work.
    Honestly why even bother... lets get real for a minute. At this point in time, people will need to switch from Verizon to a GSM carrier to enjoy having a Passport. All this monkeying around isn't going to fly.
    lift likes this.
    09-26-14 06:26 PM
  17. stooy leown's Avatar
    People are saying LTE doesn't work on AT&T? Could you post a link to where you saw this? Thanks.
    Just tried AT&T store, no luck with LTE. He first tried brand new SIM, then a dummy IMEI, then the IMEI from my AT&T Z10. Nothing worked, not sure what else to try.

    Posted via CB10
    And a bunch others in the Passport on ATT thread


    Q10SQN100-2/10.3.0.1154 - CB10
    lift and raino like this.
    09-26-14 07:29 PM
  18. raino's Avatar
    Honestly why even bother... lets get real for a minute. At this point in time, people will need to switch from Verizon to a GSM carrier to enjoy having a Passport. All this monkeying around isn't going to fly.
    Right. I'm not advocating people go out and buy a Passport to use on Verizon because "maybe it will work." At best, the RGY181LW is going to be a mule--neither a donkey nor a horse, but somewhere in between. I'm just saying someone who has bought the Passport for, say, use on AT&T but also has a Verizon SIM active--maybe they'd be interested in doing this little experiment

    And a bunch others in the Passport on ATT thread
    Thanks. Looks like a bunch of provisioning issues. I have heard of some of them before, like "the LTE was oddly turned off," and of course, "SIM was too old" but of course that's not AT&T-specific.
    09-26-14 08:08 PM
  19. EchoesFX's Avatar
    Raino, you are definitely very knowledgeable but here I have to disagree unless you have a link that shows that information. My understanding about the band 13 LTE requirement was that Verizon had to make all their phones SIM unlocked, but that was so anyone could use a Verizon phone on other GSM networks. Not so anyone could use a NON-Verizon phone on Verizon's LTE network. The Passport does indeed have band 13 LTE, but as some here have said, it will not work on Verizon's network. As I suspected. The IMEI is not only checked by Verizon for a Blacklisted number, but it is also checked against their data base of Verizon Branded devices. If it is not in their database, no go.

    Sooo... No Verizon Passport version?!?-img_20140924_102922.jpg
    This. They're required to allow a device to connect, but the text doesn't require them to allow activation. This is why the Asus Nexus 7 was able to work, if you first activated the SIM on another device.

    Posted via CB10
    raino and lift like this.
    09-26-14 08:24 PM
  20. raino's Avatar
    This. They're required to allow a device to connect, but the text doesn't require them to allow activation. This is why the Asus Nexus 7 was able to work, if you first activated the SIM on another device.
    Has Verizon actually tried to use this language (or lack thereof) to get out of having to activate band 13-only devices? I wouldn't put it past them
    09-26-14 08:48 PM
  21. lift's Avatar
    This is the link that shows how you activate an "unapproved" band 13 device on Verizon: How To Activate An LTE Nexus 7 On Verizon Wireless
    Thanks for the link Raino. That's for a tablet though. So even if that works for a Passport, none of the actual phone stuff will work like voice, text, etc. So basically you could just possibly end-up with a LTE data only Passport. What would be the benefit?
    09-26-14 09:48 PM
  22. lift's Avatar
    This. They're required to allow a device to connect, but the text doesn't require them to allow activation. This is why the Asus Nexus 7 was able to work, if you first activated the SIM on another device.
    Thanks. Do you have a link? I can't read your attached picture. My eyes are not so great or the picture is not so great.
    09-26-14 09:53 PM
  23. flyersfan76's Avatar
    Thanks for the link Raino. That's for a tablet though. So even if that works for a Passport, none of the actual phone stuff will work like voice, text, etc. So basically you could just possibly end-up with a LTE data only Passport. What would be the benefit?
    I would use it that way if it worked. Much more productive than an iPad. Easier to type on.

    Posted via CB10
    erekshun likes this.
    09-26-14 10:03 PM
  24. jdr6000's Avatar
    Relax...I'm sure they will pick it up at some point.

    Posted via CB10
    09-26-14 10:59 PM
  25. raino's Avatar
    Thanks for the link Raino. That's for a tablet though. So even if that works for a Passport, none of the actual phone stuff will work like voice, text, etc. So basically you could just possibly end-up with a LTE data only Passport. What would be the benefit?
    Right. No benefit right now, really, which is why I would try to dissuade anyone thinking of buying one for Verizon. But...down the line, if hell freezes over and Verizon makes voLTE available to all capable devices, things could get interesting.
    09-26-14 11:10 PM
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