[Maquiavelo]

Hello,

I have a question, if I say, get a blackberry from AT&T and activate BIS with AT&T.

Then I unlock the phone through RIM, can I switch to T-MOBILE and still use BIS?, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need to buy T-MOBILE BIS service, but since I activated it with AT&T Previously, does it get "locked" into AT&T forever?.


Thanks

[eyemabug]

Yes the BIS/BES services if activated on the device on a particular carrier, RIM provisions the device for that carrier. An unlocked device just means you can insert the sim of another carrier and it will be able to register on there network.

Not sure if RIM unlocks BlackBerries but if they do then I am sure they should be able to deprovision the device from the original carrier.

[wirelessforever]

Hello,

I have a question, if I say, get a blackberry from AT&T and activate BIS with AT&T.

Then I unlock the phone through RIM, can I switch to T-MOBILE and still use BIS?, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need to buy T-MOBILE BIS service, but since I activated it with AT&T Previously, does it get "locked" into AT&T forever?.

1.) Carriers lock their phones, not the manufacturers. I have a T-Mobile Curve and I've gotten it unlocked. The reason to have an unlocked phone is mostly so if you are traveling overseas, you can use prepaid SIM cards for foreign carriers in areas where it makes more sense to use someone other than your native carrier. T-Mobile will usually give you unlock codes if you are a customer in good standing and you have a reason to ask them to do so. Usually this means you've been a customer for awhile and you need to use the phone overseas.

2.) I strongly recommend that you do NOT get an AT&T Curve with the thought of bringing it to T-Mobile. Although you can do this, it isn't in your best interests to do so. AT&T's Curves do NOT support UMA so you cannot use them for VOIP (Internet calls). All of T-Mobile's Curves do support UMA.

Just come on over to T-Mobile and get a TMo Curve.

I used to be an AT&T customer a long time ago. They were terrible. Come on over, the water is warm and TMo has really done a great job for me.

[wirelessforever]

does it get "locked" into AT&T forever?

Realized I forgot to address this question specifically.

You can unlock an AT&T phone by getting the unlock code from AT&T (they won't likely give it to you if they think you are going to bolt to TMo with their phone) or you can buy an unlock code from one of the many people on the Internet who sell them you can Google this ("unlock cell phone") and probably find many people to do this for you for a fee (usually around $25).

Again, I strongly urge you not to do any of this and just buy a TMo phone to use on TMo's network. That is really the best way to go.