Ok Help me out. I got a Blackberry 7520. The customer service is telling me I need to get this ridiculous $45 Data Plan in order to recieve and send E-mails, Surf Net and all the other stuff this phone was meant to do....Is there no other WAY,....Help

No.
Search.
Done!

This is a classic case for LEARN BEFORE YOU BUY. And for using the search button.

Blackberries require special data plans to make the push email (and other services) work. You can't just throw a Blackberry on any data plan and get everything working.

Nextel does have a new 24.99 3MB total connect data plan for the BlackBerry but it's sans email. You can surf the web.

And if you dodnt add it they will add it for you because they can see what kind of phone you have on the network

I prefer it if their plan was less expensive but when you factor BWC users on Nextel has Internet browser and MDS push mail technology, I think the plan is worth it's fee.

I agree plus we have gps where no one else does

But (sigh) they don't have much of a footprint outside of North America...
Wish they did.

Thats true but with the merger they made indeed get that..

Why? Sprint has no spectrum outside of the US! Sprint is CDMA!

I didnt say they did, I am saying that they may expand is all I am saying..

Uh, OK. Snowballs will freeze in Atlanta in the summer first, but OK.

Man you are a negative person, arent you....

No, I am a realist. Nextel uses iDen. Very lightly used outside of North America. Sprint uses CDMA, even more lightly used outside of North America. The two are merging. Neither company has any footprint or roaming agreements outside of North America. So why should I even fantasize that Sprint/Nextel will have any decent coverage outside of North America. Every other country (except Korea and Japan) uses GSM. Dual mode phones (CDMA/GSM) are out (well, one awful phone is out), but to expect a dual mode BB is a long shot. Sprint/Nextel will have enough on their hands merging networks; they will not have time to expand outside of North America.

Being realistic is different than being negative.

If you say so

I concur with NJ on this. Sprint is behind all in the data spectrum and I don't see CDMA going international or IDEN for that matter. Even though Verizon told me 1 year ago, GSM/GPRS was out and CDMA was where it was at internationaly. I believed them, though, because I'm a positive person!!

I have to put my 2 cents in on this also.
Nextel has cool features, but their service coverage is horrible.
Here in Nebraska, Nextel works in two towns, and you have no service in the rest of the state. Their coverage may be better elsewhere, but they have never been involved in any serious discussions as a mobile phone provider.
Sprint is farther behind, although their phones will roam on the network that Alltel has here. Data only works on the vision Network, which limits coverage to two towns and the interstate.
Cingular is the best bet here with coverage, etc. Alltel does now offer a Blackberry, it may become a big player here with that also.

If you have good service in your area, go with that company, it's as simple as that.