Unlocked Blackberry Internet/Web Question

jdunne08

hi,
if i bought an unlocked Blackberry 9700 and put any irish sim into it will the internet work in it? i doubt it will i just wanna see what expereince people have had with doing this. And Sim free means Unlocked aswell doesnt it?

does it make a difference if the fone was Irish and unlocked compared to an english fone that was unlocked, different firmware etc..

cookie1977

Blackberry's require an add on to be active either via pre pay from vodafone costing 50 cent a day (and soon Meteor) or via a bill pay add-on/plan such as O2's advance plans or Three's BIS (Blackberry Internet Service) add-on for 9.99 per month.

WIth out the add-on nothing works except calls and texts. You need the add-on even to get wifi to work

racer1

Why is there an extra cost for blackberry cookie?

cookie1977

The 50 cent a day is what vodafone charge for pre pay BIS access. Meteor will be launching pre pay very soon:
http://www.meteor.ie/blackberry/payg_registration/

jdunne08

cookie1977 wrote: »

Blackberry's require an add on to be active either via pre pay from vodafone costing 50 cent a day (and soon Meteor) or via a bill pay add-on/plan such as O2's advance plans or Three's BIS (Blackberry Internet Service) add-on for 9.99 per month.

WIth out the add-on nothing works except calls and texts. You need the add-on even to get wifi to work

Really? so even if you buy the fone in a shop you gotta pay for that add on?
so if i bought an unlocked blackberry and bought that add on i would have no problem with the internet or coverage? would the web be slower than normal?

cookie1977

Yes unfortunately. It is just a talk and text device without the add-on. Even MMS wont work as it uses data. If you got a pre pay service or bill pay add-on everything will work perfectly

jdunne08

cookie1977 wrote: »

Yes unfortunately. It is just a talk and text device without the add-on. Even MMS wont work as it uses data. If you got a pre pay service or bill pay add-on everything will work perfectly

thats stupid since there so dear in the first place, youd think thats included.
ive seen ads saying its sim free that means the person got it unlocked right?

cookie1977

If it's sim free then it was unlocked and can be used on any network.

jdunne08

cookie1977 wrote: »

The 50 cent a day is what vodafone charge for pre pay BIS access. Meteor will be launching pre pay very soon:
http://www.meteor.ie/blackberry/payg_registration/

any ideo how much that will cost, monthly/weekly?

jdunne08

cookie1977 wrote: »

If it's sim free then it was unlocked and can be used on any network.

ok thanks alot. do you have an unlocked blackberry?

cookie1977

Meteors? Probably similar to vodafone or at best 9.99 per month. But it's free for a few months when meteor launch it (vodafone had something similar when they launched it but now it costs money). Re bill pay plans, which network?

cookie1977

jdunne08 wrote: »

ok thanks alot. do you have an unlocked blackberry?

Yes I have an unlocked blackberry 9700. Bought from the O2 network, unlocked and then now used on Three's network

jdunne08

cookie1977 wrote: »

Yes I have an unlocked blackberry 9700. Bought from the O2 network, unlocked and then now used on Three's network

and you dont have any problems what so ever? coz i bought an INQ chat 3g from england, unlocked it and now i have bad coverage slow internet speed and i dont want that with a blackberry

cookie1977

I've no problems with coverage. If you're worried always test the network you're thinking of moving to by getting a pre pay sim (most cases they're free). Look to see consistent strong 3G signal at work, home and play areas.

If you've strong coverage then you'll have no problem with blackberry services on your device

jdunne08

cookie1977 wrote: »

I've no problems with coverage. If you're worried always test the network you're thinking of moving to by getting a pre pay sim (most cases they're free). Look to see consistent strong 3G signal at work, home and play areas.

If you've strong coverage then you'll have no problem with blackberry services on your device

good idea, you helped me alot with this. Thanks.

cookie1977

No problem. Blackberry's rock If you've any questions about them post back.

ostrich

Am currently on Vodafone, Using blackberry 8250 on pay and go. I top up 30 a month to get free calls and text plus internet and my €30 is there to call other networks.:D

jdunne08

cookie1977 wrote: »

No problem. Blackberry's rock If you've any questions about them post back.

lol, will do. thanks again

cookie1977

ostrich wrote: »

Am currently on Vodafone, Using blackberry 8250 on pay and go. I top up 30 a month to get free calls and text plus internet and my €30 is there to call other networks.:D

I think for people who signed up recently (offer's over now) you got free BIS till May. So thats what you're benefiting from.

http://www.vodafone.ie/offers/payg-blackberry/

With free Facebook, BlackBerry, Messenger and email until May 2011
if you switch before April 10 2011

highlydebased

cookie1977 wrote: »

You need the add-on even to get wifi to work

Untrue.

I have an unlocked Blackberry and am using it on meteor at the moment- obviously they are meant to be launching their PAYG BIS in the next few days but

Wifi works perfectly, and there are some settings you can change which will allow Opera Mini Broswer and the gmail app to work- just like normal phone internet. I have the 20 euro free meteor texts and browse promotion at the moment so it costs me no extra.

cookie1977

Neon-Circles wrote: »

Untrue.

I have an unlocked Blackberry and am using it on meteor at the moment- obviously they are meant to be launching their PAYG BIS in the next few days but

Wifi works perfectly, and there are some settings you can change which will allow Opera Mini Broswer and the gmail app to work- just like normal phone internet. I have the 20 euro free meteor texts and browse promotion at the moment so it costs me no extra.

I'm afraid it's not untrue. What could be happening for you is that meteor may already have the system up and running and so you've gotten the service books or you acquired the service books before moving to meteor and the wifi service book has stayed on. Either way you need the wifi service book to avail of wifi and you can only get it by having or once having the bis add-on

highlydebased

cookie1977 wrote: »

I'm afraid it's not untrue. What could be happening for you is that meteor may already have the system up and running and so you've gotten the service books or you acquired the service books before moving to meteor and the wifi service book has stayed on. Either way you need the wifi service book to avail of wifi and you can only get it by having or once having the bis add-on

Definately not Meteor service books- if thats the case surely their BIS would work too :O

I've never had BIS at all nor do I think did the phone ever.

So, in short, you dont need BIS to use wifi.

cookie1977

In your service books under settings does it say wifi anywhere?
You say you have an unlocked blackberry. Did you get it from someone else?

FYI:
http://www.blackberryforums.com/general-8300-series-discussion-curve/226559-wifi-without-data-plan.html

CatMc48

ostrich wrote: »

Am currently on Vodafone, Using blackberry 8250 on pay and go. I top up 30 a month to get free calls and text plus internet and my €30 is there to call other networks.:D

This is the same for me - I got a bb from Vodafone back in November, and had free bbmsngr, fb and twitter until Jan '11. Checked my credit levels after this and was being charged €1/day to use the previously mentioned bb apps.
Since then I too top up with €30/mth which gives me free internet along with free Vod-Vod calls and txts, or free any network txts. The €30 then goes towards all other calls/msgs. Definitely the best option cost-wise.

So I think this is untrue:

cookie1977 wrote: »

I think for people who signed up recently (offer's over now) you got free BIS till May. So thats what you're benefiting from.

http://www.vodafone.ie/offers/payg-blackberry/

I do have another query regarding unlocked bb phones though - my bf just bought an unlocked one and there doesn't seem to be a bb app world icon on it. Any ideas how to get this onto the phone?
He too is going to top up by €30 as above, so will post again at a later date to advise if this works and he gets the bb apps for free with his top-up. I know bb msngr is working fine already.

cookie1977

I'm not following you very well. The blackberry services on vodafone are 50 cent a day and not 1 euro a day unless you're using a different apn. Anyone who signed up to blackberry last year with vodafone before February this year got free blackberry services till February then anyone who signed up after this up until April 10th has free blackberry services until May. So I'm not sure what you mean by untrue?

In relation to your query. If he's been provisioned for blackberry services on payg then to get appworld he just needs to go to:
www.blackberry.com/appworld.

CatMc48

Hey cookie1977,

Before I got my bb, I was signed up to internet being €1 a day if I used it, as I wouldn't always go online on my phone. Once my free bb app's ran out in Jan, I started to be charged again when I went online - but now that you say bb is 50c per day, I didn't know that so to be honest it might have only been the 50c, I just knew my credit was going down! For this reason I now top up with the €30 which gives me free internet usage for the mth along with my calls and txts.

I got from your post below that you're saying you can only receive the BIS through either having availed of the free service by buying your bb when the offer was on, or that you pay the 50c per day, but NOT by topping up with the €30 per month - when I know by topping up with the €30/mth you can avail of the services ('free' as such-you're already paying i the bigger top up amount!)
I think I must've just took your post up wrong. So that's why I was saying it was untrue! Sorry!

Originally Posted by cookie1977
I think for people who signed up recently (offer's over now) you got free BIS till May. So thats what you're benefiting from.

cookie1977

No problem. What you describe is interesting. Can you tell if your 30 euro is decreasing daily due to BIS (Blackberry internet charges) or is it staying high?

Would a mod care to comment?

Keano

cookie1977 wrote: »

No problem. What you describe is interesting. Can you tell if your 30 euro is decreasing daily due to BIS (Blackberry internet charges) or is it staying high?

Would a mod care to comment?

What you need a mod to comment for?

cookie1977

CatMc48 wrote: »

Hey cookie1977,

Before I got my bb, I was signed up to internet being €1 a day if I used it, as I wouldn't always go online on my phone. Once my free bb app's ran out in Jan, I started to be charged again when I went online - but now that you say bb is 50c per day, I didn't know that so to be honest it might have only been the 50c, I just knew my credit was going down! For this reason I now top up with the €30 which gives me free internet usage for the mth along with my calls and txts.

I got from your post below that you're saying you can only receive the BIS through either having availed of the free service by buying your bb when the offer was on, or that you pay the 50c per day, but NOT by topping up with the €30 per month - when I know by topping up with the €30/mth you can avail of the services ('free' as such-you're already paying i the bigger top up amount!)
I think I must've just took your post up wrong. So that's why I was saying it was untrue! Sorry!

Keano A Legend wrote: »

What you need a mod to comment for?

Because the user is unsure if they're paying 50cent or 1 euro a day for BIS services and they're saying that by topping up by 30 euro per month they think they're getting BIS services for free. It would be nice to hear from a mod which is correct.

CatMc48

Hey cookie1977,

Yep, am 99% sure that I'm not being charged for the internet now, as I check my credit regularly and it's not diminishing too much! But to be 100% sure I'm going to check it for the next 2days and report back

I have another question regarding the sim free bb I got my bf. He has tried downloading the app world through the link you advised, but it's just not working. Does he need to ring Vodafone to apply the BIS services to the phone? And I know this is prob a stupid question - but what does BIS stand for? Is it Blackberry Internet Services?

cookie1977

yes. vodafone would have to provision him for the service. Thanks also for clarifying