Best carrier for international Blackberry usage?

Hello! I am completely new to the Blackberry world so please excuse me if this question seems silly:

I am currently a Verizon user, and I'm due for a phone upgrade very soon. I want to get a Blackberry, but the more I look into Verizon's options for Blackberry plans the more I feel like I may want to switch carriers if I'm going to get a Blackberry. My issue is that I would like to be able to use BBM while I'm abroad for about 6 months, but the man in the Verizon store told me I'd have to get the $65 data plan to do this. This shocked me because I have a friend who is a T-Mobile Blackberry user, who says that his international BBMs are free without having an international data plan. Also, I'm between the new Curve and the Tour. Is it true that if I get the Curve there is no way to ever use it internationally?

In a nutshell, I wanted to ask you guys what your opinions are on which carriers offer the cheapest way to get the international data use (I don't need international calling or anything - BBM would be enough). Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you :D

If you get the new Curve on Verizon, no you will not be able to use it internationally. It is a CDMA phone only, and most of the rest of the world is GSM. The Tour and Storm 2 both are capable of both CDMA and GSM.

If you want Verizon as your carrier and to be abroad, yes you will have to use the $65 international plan. BBMs can be sent internationally, but for you to use BBM on Verizon in another country, no they will not be free. If you want to have a local (to the country) plan, IF they offer BIS you can use BBM that way. Many times this is depending on the country and the carrier, and many times is not for a pre-paid service, but you must open a contract in that country. Which carrier depends on where you are going and what you are looking for.

You'll have to see if you can get a T-Mobile SIM and convince Verizon to give you a SIM unlock code on the Tour but it's possible on Verizon. It doesn't necessarily have to be T-Mobile but the important part is getting the right BB tech support person to give the unlock code.

Originally Posted by MisterObvious

You'll have to see if you can get a T-Mobile SIM and convince Verizon to give you a SIM unlock code on the Tour but it's possible on Verizon. It doesn't necessarily have to be T-Mobile but the important part is getting the right BB tech support person to give the unlock code.

If I am wrong someone can hopefully correct me, but I believe the GSM
side of the Tour does not need to be unlocked.

Originally Posted by amazinglygraceless

If I am wrong someone can hopefully correct me, but I believe the GSM
side of the Tour does not need to be unlocked.

It needs to be unlocked.

Edit: My proof is that a friend of mine's father gave him a Tour and he needed it to work for T-Mobile. I
called Verizon on his dad's behalf to get the unlock code for my friend.

Thanks F29. I vaguely remember on CDMA device with a GSM side that was
unlocked out of the box.

Originally Posted by amazinglygraceless

Thanks F29. I vaguely remember on CDMA device with a GSM side that was
unlocked out of the box.

I believe it's the Sprint Tour that is unlocked, if I remember correctly.

Originally Posted by Moe2005

I believe it's the Sprint Tour that is unlocked, if I remember correctly.

It wouldn't suprise me if the Sprint Tour is unlocked out of the box and not
the Verizon one. Let's see if anyone can confirm it. I'm gonna BBM a friend
I know with a Sprint Tour and ask her.

Just checked. Network still shows as "Active" so it's locked out of the box.

Edit: No, it seems that they do come unlocked out of the box. My friend works
at a Sprint corporate store but the phone she has is an actual company phone.
She checked her co-workers phone who doesn't have an actual company provided
phone and it's unlocked. She didn't call for an unlock code she's saying. She's
also telling me that they're working on a Tour in tech support at the store and that
that phone is also unlocked. She asked the customer herself if he had ever called to
get it unlocked and he's saying no.

Tour or storm2 if you want to rock worldwide. No problem getting unlock codes from Verizon. Call Global Support 888-844-0395.

T-Mobile has an Int'l roaming data plan for $19.99 per month. I believe it's an addition to your current data plan. I use it when roaming in France with Orange without any additional charges on my account.

Verizon Tours are locked but Sprint aren't. If you can find the righ tVZW CS/TS rep they will unlock it for you.

Thanks for all the help everyone! I think I'll go with the Tour and hope I can charm a Verizon rep into unlocking it. If it's unlocked, does this mean I DON'T need the $65 dollar plan to BBM internationally? Also, once it's unlocked, that's a permanent thing, right? As you can I'm not the most tech-savvy, so I really appreciate the help :) Thanks!

If you're a Verizon customer, they shouldn't give you a hard time unlocking it. Call Customer Service and say you are traveling abroad and want to use your phone there. If it's unlocked, it means you can use a local SIM, not that you don't need Verizon's more expensive plan if you choose to use Verizon and not a local carrier. Unlocked is forever.