Is it possible to unlock the Verizon 8830 and use it on another network abroad?

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8830/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

Yes.

Wirelessly posted (8700g: BlackBerry8700/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

If you need further details, check the FAQ at this link:
http://www.blackberryfaq.com/index.php/Main_Page

I would be VERY surprised if the 8830 is actually locked. Obviously the CDMA radio won't work anywhere but a select few countries, but I would think that the GSM radio would work with any provider's SIM.

Having said that, if it was to be locked to anything, my guess would be that it would be locked to Vodafone, and I do not believe it would be unlockable (at least not without a lot of money and time).

How about getting data on another provider? Can I get a contract with my 8830 on some European carrier and get my emails through that carrier?

The 8830 comes carrier locked to Vodafone on the GSM side.
You can verify this by going into the SIM Card options and typing MEPD. You will notice that 'Network' is 'Active' which indicates the device is locked.

The unlocking procedure is the same as the 8800 from Cingular and/or T-Mobile. I unlocked mine two days ago.

That's good info. Thanks for the clarification.

If you get your 8830 unlocked like Penguin said, then yes, you could contract BB service with a European provider.

Getting BB data on prepaid is the trick.

Plus, switching carriers if you use BIS for email is a pain. Of course, if you only use BES it's not a big deal.

how do you get blackberry data on prepaid?

You don't.

If u unlock the 8830, will that enable the GPS?

No.

Interesting, I never gave a thought to unlocking the GSM bands on a CDMA blackberry. It wouldn't be so bad to use a CDMA berry in the states with EVDO speeds and then use the GSM bands when I travel overseas.

Has anyone tethered the EVDO blackberries yet? Is it any good? Speeds?

I'm impressed so far tethering it to my Intel macBook via bluetooth.
matches the speed of my friends PCMCIA-Express card in his powerbook.
Seemless pairing everytime for me!

Alright you got me more interested. Are you using boot camp? I have XP running but can run OS X if that pairs better. What speeds are you getting? Is it flaky? How much for BB + tethering unlimited? Can I activate just a data plan on a VZ device? I dont care to be locked to CDMA for voice.

I am only considering this if it would be stable enough to let me dump my home cable line and save some dough. Ill still be keeping my cingular/GSM line for voice.

Hello,

Where did you get your 8830 unlocked and how much did it cost?

Thanks.

SC