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Guys i'm on verizon in the US. I was told that the BB tour is a world phone. I have never used a phone outside the US so i need some help here. I will be going to Colombia. What do i need to do just buy a SIM card in colombia? I don't know if this matters but i will be using this mostly for data. Any help would be appreciated.
thanks,
Ncage
You have two options, the Tour comes with a verizon international SIM card which lets you have voice/data anywhere that has cell coverage at Verizon's international rates. Or you could take out the Verizon international SIM card and replace it with a prepaid SIM card at your destination but to do that I think your Tour has to be unlocked which can be done by calling up Verizon Global services.
When I went to Mexico in September I switched to the International data plan...I can't remember exact amounts, but I think it comes out to something like $2/day. You can tell them when to turn it on, and when to turn it off. I thought I would have to call them back to have the international data canceled but she did something on her end so it happened automatically without me having to do anything.
While International data is turned on, "regular" data is turned off. Actually, I'm kind if mis-explaining. You are basically switching plans. Here in the US you are on a regular data plan. But when you go out of the country you can change from a regular data plan to an international data plan, which does have a slightly higher cost, but while you are using the international data plan you are NOT paying for the regular data plan (likewise, when you have the regular plan you are not paying for the International plan).
I was really confused about the whole traveling out of the US...so this is what I think I figured out.
SIM cards that you can buy for International travel, I THINK, are only for phone calls. I didn't look overly hard to find a SIM card that would include data, mainly because I knew in Mexico I would have CDMA access and therefore my International data access was via CDMA (no SIM card needed).
The International data plan includes Internet, e-mail and Blackberry Messenger. It does NOT include texting.
I did not bother with buying a SIM card to make phone calls...again Mexico has native CDMA coverage and I was told by Verizon calls were basically .99/minute. Since I had data access and had planned all along to use that to keep in touch back home, I was fine with knowing IF I had to make or receive a call, it would be at that .99 rate, but that I would only use the phone for an emergency.
I hope someone can come along and clear up anything I might have gotten wrong. The more I think about it, the more I think that SIM cards must somehow have data included...how else would a person get data coverage in a GSM only country?
Wow...I hope I didn't just make things worse for you trying to understand...
This is correct...that the phone has to be unlocked in order to use a SIM card other than the one provided by VZW. I called and they walked me through the unlock with no questions other than "are you going out of the country". Once I confirmed I was they were happy to help me with the unlock.
Usually pre-paid sims don't have data. For Overseas I use my 8900 to send & receive data and to receive important calls. I use a pre-paid local sim in my unlock 8110 for all local calls...
Thanks guys for the help. I will be calling verizon tomorrow.
wait so pre-paid sims won't allow text? and do they give u a little quiz to make sure u aren't lying about going out of the country just so you could unlock? :P ive been contemplating unlocking (i will be going out of the country next january but not now so eventually i will need to.) and i was going to tell them the whole "going out of country" thing. do you need proof or are they just going to do it right then and there?
I don't know the answer about text on pre-paid sim...but as far as VZW unlocking, I just told them I was going out of the country in two weeks and they helped me. I would tell them you are going out of the country and if they do ask when, tell them 2 weeks.
Yes, you can text on pre-paid sims but they don't have data for BB.