[Mark Rejhon]

International BlackBerry Compatibility Guide

To use a BlackBerry internationally, you must use a GSM compatible BlackBerry. This means North American users must go with Rogers, AT&T, Cingular, or T-Mobile, or go with an International carrier that sells one of the compatible BlackBerry models. As long as the carrier has GPRS capability for their GSM network, and your home carrier has a roaming agreement to roam onto their network, then BlackBerry should work even if that network isn't BlackBerry compatible. (However, you must use a SIM card from a BlackBerry-compatible network.)

"Domestic" = Inside North America
"International" = Outside North America
"XX" = A number that is 58, 62, 67, 72, or 77.

BEST UNIVERSAL WORLDPHONES (BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL)
XX90
7100 series

BEST UNIVERSAL INTERNATIONAL BLACKBERRIES
XX20
XX30
XX90

BEST UNIVERSAL DOMESTIC BLACKBERRIES
XX80
XX90

GOOD INTERNATIONAL BLACKBERRY
XX10

CONDITIONAL DOMESTIC BLACKBERRY - LESS RECEPTION ON SOME CARRIERS
XX10
XX30

CONDITIONAL INTERNATIONAL BLACKBERRY - LESS RECEPTION, ONLY SOME COUNTRIES
XX80

WILL NOT WORK INTERNATIONALLY
XX50
5790

WILL NOT WORK DOMESTICALLY
XX20



Listing Of Frequencies

Where XX is either 58, 62, 67, 72, or 77.
Countries inside North America use 850 Mhz or 1900 Mhz or both.
Countries outside of North America use 900 Mhz or 1800 Mhz or both.

XX10 - 900/1900 Mhz GSM
XX20 - 900/1800 Mhz GSM
XX30 - 900/1800/1900 Mhz GSM
XX50 - CDMA (North America only)
XX80 - 850/1800/1900 Mhz GSM
XX90 - 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz GSM

EXCEPTIONS
6500 series - iDEN
7500 series - iDEN
5790 model - Mobitex
7100 series - GSM (quadband like XX90 universal worldphone)



International Roaming Agreements, Rates, Data Roaming

• Check Rogers Roaming
• Check Cingular Roaming
• Check T-Mobile Roaming

This is a "Mark Rejhon BlackBerry FAQ" article.
Copyright (C) 2005 by Mark Rejhon, All Rights Reserved. Some portions may be Copyright (C) by respective forum members.
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[stonent]

The 75xx and 65xx phones should roam into Telus and NII in Mexico and South America for voice service. Telus offers iDEN Blackberries so there is a good possibility that you can use data on the Telus network from the US (or vice versa)

NII doesn't offer a Blackberry so iDEN blackberries might not have full functionality in their network. (I guess you'd have to look at the NXTL to see what services are showing)

[amnesia]

NEXTEL's data services will work on any international iDEN network. Nextel's Blackberry service utilizes the same packet data network that is used by the Direct Connect feature and other data related services.

As for the roaming units....and taking your nextel blackberry and voice service world wide:

Nextel customers can now rent a BlackBerry for international use from our Nextel Worldwide rental partner, Cellhire.  For only $125/week or $350/month, customers can rent a BlackBerry 7730 and get unlimited access to email, attachments, Internet Browsing when traveling in over 60 countries worldwide.  For voice service, customersxxx58;
       - Can choose voice service that comes with the BlackBerry, using a  U.K. phone number
       - Take their own phone number with them by using their SIM card in a rented GSM phone, at no additional rental fee; customer only pays for airtime they use

Renting is easy. Customers can order online by going to the NWW section of nextel.com or by calling Cellhire directly at 1-800-753-8325

above is effective 1/1/05

[stonent]

Interesting, I wasn't aware the Nextel SIMs would work in a GSM phone.

Still it is odd they chose tri-band GSM over quad-band.

[NJBlackBerry]

Not odd at all; the 4th (quad) band you refer to is the 850 MHz GSM band, which is used in North America. Since Nextel operates in North America and will not roam onto GSM networks in North America, there is no need for the 850 MHz band.

Same holds true for the new converged CDMA/GSM phones (like the Samsung A790), which uses CDMA for North America and GSM for international use. It has 900 and 1800 GSM bands, which are used outside of North America.

[stonent]

Ok, I guess that makes more sense now.

[dulcamara]

Does the 69.99 plan let you have unlimited data (eg web browsing) or only
unlimited email?

Does cingular make a distinction?

Does the answer change if I'm on BES or BWC?

(edit on 5/7/05)

Finally found an answer from Cingular!

http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=7972

[dyzs]

I have heard the 7250 works for roaming in some countries that have CDMA.

[NJBlackBerry]

So, what countries have you heard it works in. 'Cause I don't think so....

[dyzs]

Australia on Telstra CDMA and Israel on Pelephone. I was quite surprised when the IT guy of a company we deal with told me this. They are on BES 4 and use Telus 7250's.

[blackberry7750]

a colleague at work claims that Verizon will be coming out with an international BB sometime next year. Anyone know if there's any truth to that?

TIA

[Marty6608]

I am going to travel to Hawaii in April 2006.
I am wondering if my Blackberry 8700r will be functional in Hawaii ?
I am planning to use it only for email purposes.

[Toddboy71]

Dont know about Rogers, but this past May, I still had a Nextel 7520, and it worked just fine in Maui....

[erehwon]

I know I have a few European business trips on the drawing board, am I safe to assume if I bought an unlocked 7290 and bought SIM cards in the country I was traveling in and that phone company allowed BB service that my phone would still have the same PIN number?

[astcell]

So many decisions, so little time. I want to get a Blackberry (prefeered, for qwerty and e-mail, no phone) that will work in Qatar and Kuwait. I would like to tether it for my laptop surfing, and I want it all for a flat rate. The options I have seen are Cingular, but they disallow tethering, and T-Mobile who allows tethering but I don't know if a salespersom looking at an Excel spreadsheet gives me comfy feelings on what I can get. Am I missing anything, anyone?

[stonent]

I wonder if we should update the faq to mention that the xx50 phones will work as phones internationally on CDMA networks as long as the carrier supports voice roaming (i.e. Asia and Australia use CDMA) But apparently data roaming is not possible.

[dc/dc]

Originally Posted by astcell

So many decisions, so little time. I want to get a Blackberry (prefeered, for qwerty and e-mail, no phone) that will work in Qatar and Kuwait. I would like to tether it for my laptop surfing, and I want it all for a flat rate. The options I have seen are Cingular, but they disallow tethering, and T-Mobile who allows tethering but I don't know if a salespersom looking at an Excel spreadsheet gives me comfy feelings on what I can get. Am I missing anything, anyone?

I'm sorry to break this to you, but QTel (Qatarnet) does not allow GPRS roaming, and thus does not allow BlackBerry. It works great for a phone, but you will not have any e-mail service. You MIGHT be able to use it in Kuwait as there is a Vodafone network there.

[astcell]

Rats, just saw that today. Well there may not be Internet via BB in Qatar but there may be Internet locally via an ISP. Cingular says there is BB mail for sure, heck, salespeople will say anything.

[pmandryk]

We have a BES 4.0 w 5 Bell BlackBerry 7250's on it. Our CEO wants the ability to roam in the Caribbean. Currently, Rogers is the only one that currently supports roaming via GSM (I don't think that the Caribbean islands support CDMA, and even if they dis, you cannot get data, right?).
What my question is is this; Can I have a BES with 5 Bell/7250 and then buy a Rogers/7100r, will the BES be able to communicate with the new phone? I will have to buy a new licence for the BES.

Thanks!

[stonent]

Yes.... Carriers have nothing to do with BES's functionality.