Handset: 9700
Carrier: O2 UK

My 9700 has developed a problem with the blackberry internet service.

A couple of days ago i noticed my signal change from the usual uppercase GPRS or 3G with the blackberry symbol to lowercase gprs or a 3G with no blackberry symbol (indicating my blackberry internet service is not active).

I did nothing to cause this to happen, no newly installed apps, no changes to anything on the phone, not even rebooting it. It just stopped working.

Now- I used to work for another UK network doing blackberry tech support so I have a pretty good knowledge of how to fix things like this when they happen.

I have tried everything I can think of- soft resets, hard resets, re-registering via the host routing table, restoring to a previous backup, wiping the OS and all data completely and reinstalling from scratch. Nothing worked.

So I thought, maybe something has gone wrong on my account with my network provider. Spent a day on the phone to them, nothing wrong with my account, blackberry service showing active on all systems- they have deactivated and reactivated, removed my blackberry tariff and readded - I have even had a new sim card.

No luck, still the same.

I have also noticed that- there are no entries at all in my host routing table anymore. And I am missing the "provisioning" servicebooks that I know should be in there. No idea where they have gone, I haven't deleted them.

All very strange and no idea what the problem is, but I'm thinking it is the handset. I tried a friends blackberry enabled sim card (also on the same network) in my phone and that didn't work either.

Anyone any ideas on how to solve my issue as I am completely stuck at the moment.

Are you able to resend service books and get it to work again?

The service books going missing is a new one on me; haven't read of that before.

The device won't receive service books without an active BIS service.

The provisioning service books come from the network provider anyway, rather than from RIM. They are supposed to be there as long as BIS is correctly provisioned on the account with the network provider. Which I have confirmed is with my account. Hence my problem.

I took my friends working blackberry sim card on the same network out of his phone, put it into mine and it still didn't work, so I'm thinking it's something to do with the handset.

Do you have a BB data plan, properly activated by the carrier? You say you confirmed that, but is a BB Data plan and not a generic one?

I had a similar problem recently with my 9800 and the only thing that fixed it was to d a security wipe, not just a regular wipe.

There are a number for problems that are resolved by resending service books. They get corrupted, dropped, whatever, I don't know exactly. But resending service books yourself is done all the time.

See How do I resend my service books? - BlackBerryFAQ.

Give it a try. What have you got to lose?

Yes I have the correct BB data plan which is activated, I confirmed this with them several times as I suspected it may be the problem. It is a specific BB data plan not a generic one.

I have had the same plan since january and it has worked fine up until a couple of days ago, I just can't understand it.

I have tried a security wipe. I have also used JL_Cmder to completely wipe the handset of the operating system and reinstalled from scratch. No luck with that either.

I have tried sending the servicebooks myself several times- they are not received by the phone as it will not receive them with no active BIS connection

So, after the wipe and resistalling the OS, the device still didn't register on the network and get the service books pushed to it?

What does O2 say again? It is sounding to me like the problem is not you, but something on the network side, or something with your account settings.

EDIT: After the wipe, did you still see this behavior?

Now I'm split. Maybe it is the device hardware? I'm bowing out. Over my head.

Correct. No response from registering on the HRT and no servicebooks.

I spent about six hours on the phone to technical support yesterday and they can't see any problem.

I don't think it is a network problem though- as I said- I tried my friends blackberry enabled sim card on the same network which I know works in my phone and it didn't work. Exactly the same, gprs lowercase indicating no active BIS connection, empty HRT and no provisioning servicebooks.

Ok. I said I was backing out, and I will. But this makes me lean toward device hardware.

Is it still under warranty?

Unfortunately no warranty as I purchased it privately rather than getting it directly from the provider. (Even though it was brand new in a sealed box and did originate from my network provider and is O2 branded).

Sorry to hear that.

I guess your suspicion stated in the next to last paragraph of your original post is probably correct.

An IT Policy maybe?

I have used the JL Cmder - reset to factory wipe which would remove any IT policy.

Turn on your wi-fi, and then do the HRT thing.

I found that when needing to do the HRT thing, when it wasn't connecting to the carrier network, giving it an internet connection (i.e. wi-fi) allowed the service books to come through.

Not saying this will defo work, but its something you don't appear to have tried and it may work.

Thanks for the tip- tried it but didn't work unfortunately


I have now also tried my sim card in another blackberry- and it works fine.

So the problem appears to definitely be with my phone. Can't imagine what suddenly went wrong but nothing seems to get it to work!

Could be a hardware failure. Stranger things have happened.

Dear JScooper,

I have same problem with my BB storm-2 9550,(unlocked for use in India with Vodafone)

I have done every steps mentioned here but still edge in lower case and unable to regsiter handset with service provider.

If you find solution to your problem let me know.

Thanks in advance.