I have a couple Blackberry's that I have accumulated through my past jobs, and now that I'm out of work, I'd like to continue to use them as phones without the data plan to save a little money. I've called AT&T and they told me that there was no way to do this as AT&T has instituted a company-wide policy beginning September 2009 that all PDA smartphones must have a data plan in order to be used on the AT&T network.

I wanted to get the public's feedback to see if anyone has a way around this.

If not, I'll have to go and buy a new dumbphone...

Thanks,
Prashant

What AT&T told you is correct. They scan IMEIs periodically and add data plans if needed. Took them 26 hours to find the last one I tested (about 2-3 months ago). The forum is full of surprised users!

You might be able to use one for a little while with a pre-paid SIM card, but you lose your number. That's about the only thing I can think of. All the carriers are doing this now. Both Sprint and Verizon instituted this policy more than a year ago. Dunno about T-Mobile.

Wirelessly posted (L'neuf trois)

If you have your own phone, you can use Tmobile w/o a data plan.

After a couple months of service, and getting charged data, I called up ATT and found out that I was supposed to be part of the rare class that can get a BB data exclusion applied to my account. They reversed all charges, and let's see whether they charge me again in the next month's bill. If it's a recurring problem where ATT's billing is not in line with their technology for forcing all PDAs into a data plan, then I'll eventually buy a non-PDA phone.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Prashant

Wow - I thought this was a joke for a bit...they 'force' you to have dataplans at AT&T? That's business suicide - I know of so many people who have smartphones but no data plans -

Not in the US since it is the "norm" among carriers. You want a Smart Phone, you get a data plan. Don't like it, don't get a Smart Phone. Not much choice. I believe TMobile may allow you to have a Smart Phone (non-subsidized) without a data plan.

wow learn something new every day - i've never heard of that where I am (Canada)

Verizon was the first to require a data plan with BlackBerrys. Sprint expanded the idea by requiring certain phones to have specific plans that included data. AT&T did this with the iPhone and has expanded it to other devices much like Sprint. T-Mobile has been the most lax with this and with data caps (fair use) and may still allow a BB without a plan, but I'm not sure.

Can anyone else confirm this? I am on T-Mobile with a dumbphone without a data plan. If I were to buy a BB Curve 8900 on Ebay and throw in my SIM card, what would happen? Would they start charging me for a data plan? I definitely do not want one.

You can use a BlackBerry on TMobile without a data plan.

Note that you will not have access to any data features, though.

Good to know, I think I will do that. I just want it for calls, texts, and music.

*Thread Moved*

Here's what I did to get the dataplan removed on one of my other lines. Call AT&T and ask to be transferred to the resolutions department -- as they are the only ones with the access codes to make this change to your account -- tell the CSR that you want to grandfather in a blackberry which you purchased from an AT&T corp store PRIOR to this new policy requiring all BB's to have an attached data plan.

They SHOULD remove it for you, if they do not hang up and call again. If the second CSR doesn't want to do it either request to be transferred to the SAVE department and tell them that you are interested in closing your account. They won't let you go.


Source: I did just this

All I use the BB for is calendar, organizer, address book, media player, camera and phone. All of these are device centric apps, none of them "need" access. I have never used it for txt messaging nor will I ever use it for email or Internet access. I'm only using it as a "one device" so I don't end up carrying around a phone, camera, organizer as three separate devices. It's absurd to require everyone to buy a data plan when many of us will simply never use it.

Good point. Start by complaining to the carriers. Start with Verizon and AT&T. That'll cover it.

true but it's what most large carriers are doing.

You DO have options.

1. Use a different device.
or
2. Use a different carrier.


It's "absurd" for users to try to use a device for which the carrier has determined a data plan will be required for use on that carrier.

Go a different route. Simple.

True MM
A lot of new users want a Blackberry for the looks but donxxx8217;t want the cost involved.

Unfortunately there is still a "bling factor" with using BlackBerrys. If folks would just get a mobile based on a tiny bit of research we'd deal with a heck of a lot less whining around here.