[sbcrair]

I'm a newbie...just buying my first BB (converting from the Treo after MANY years!). I travel quite a bit, and am looking forward to using my 8830 overseas. However, Sprint's roaming rates for voice are pretty high ($1.29/minute in Europe). Since the Sprint 8830 is unlocked, is there any way to get a local SIM from the country I'm in, and still be able to get BB data (eg, email from my BES server, as well as from the BIS server for my Yahoo mail)? I've searched this forum, and can't find an answer to this question. If one is there, I apologize, and would appreciate a link to it. Thanks in advance!

[JRSCCivic98]

No, you'll get voice, but no data with the other SIM.

[sbcrair]

bummer...

[takeshi]

There's actually tons of discussion on this. There aren't any carriers that I know of that offer BB data on prepaid. Even if they did, you'd have to delete your BIS account (if applicable), create one with the overseas carrier and reverse the process every time you went out of the country and came back since BIS is carrier-specific.

[JRSCCivic98]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but DATA should not use any of your minutes and should not charge you any high rate for it. So, you could swap SIMs as needed.... it'll suck, but not if you don't get a lot of calls, but get a lot of emails instead. You could push all your calls to voicemail and check them once you've swapped to the local SIM.

[bikedogrun]

Originally Posted by JRSCCivic98

Correct me if I'm wrong, but DATA should not use any of your minutes and should not charge you any high rate for it. So, you could swap SIMs as needed.... it'll suck, but not if you don't get a lot of calls, but get a lot of emails instead. You could push all your calls to voicemail and check them once you've swapped to the local SIM.

Yup ... clunky but definitely workable if you aren't planning to receive too many calls.

For times you need to make calls, just swap sims and then swap back to the 8830 sim to receive emails.

/BD

[vawireless]

O2 in the UK offers a prepaid BlackBerry SIM option. when overseas, if your SIM card supports BlackBerry, then voice and data will work with your existing email accounts.

[jordana816]

DO u know if you can alternate between the world data plan and the regular one?
I am getting the 8830 and I am going 2 be in Israel for 1 month. Can I get the world dataplan for 1 month and then switch back to my usual 39.99?

[bikedogrun]

Originally Posted by jordana816

DO u know if you can alternate between the world data plan and the regular one? I am getting the 8830 and I am going 2 be in Israel for 1 month. Can I get the world dataplan for 1 month and then switch back to my usual 39.99?

Well, this is THE question of the hour right now for Sprint and all of us new 8830 owners - isn't it?

Some have said that you must take the $69.95 BB Intl Data Plan with a minimum 1 yr commitment.

Others have said they were told by Sprint that the BB Plans are simply a "feature" that can be added and dropped once per month like any other feature ... 6pm nights, Text Msg Plans, TEP etc "and" you can indeed switch to the $69.95 Intl Plan just before going overseas and then switch back to the $39.95 BB Unlimited Plan when you return to the US (and be pro-rated for the time on each plan)

I've heard so many different answers to this question since July 1st ... it would be great if a Sprint employee that really, REALLY knows the "official" Sprint answer on this would weigh-in.

/BD

[orbitz]

I just recently switched back to a regular domestic BB plan on my Sprint 8830 with no problem. My international trip has been delayed a few weeks at least so I didn't need the more expensive service for a bit. I asked when I switched it back if I could turn international data back on when I was ready to go and they said yes but to do it at least 48 hours in advance as it can take up to that long to provision.

I haven't switched it back yet so I can't confirm that this won't be an issue but they had no problem with me switching FROM international back to domestic 2 weeks into my ownership of the 8830.

I am on a business account if that matters.

[bikedogrun]

Originally Posted by orbitz

I just recently switched back to a regular domestic BB plan on my Sprint 8830 with no problem. My international trip has been delayed a few weeks at least so I didn't need the more expensive service for a bit. I asked when I switched it back if I could turn international data back on when I was ready to go and they said yes but to do it at least 48 hours in advance as it can take up to that long to provision.

I haven't switched it back yet so I can't confirm that this won't be an issue but they had no problem with me switching FROM international back to domestic 2 weeks into my ownership of the 8830.

I am on a business account if that matters.

Orbitz - great news, thanks. Which Sprint Dept/Phone # did you call when you made the switch???

/BD

[orbitz]

No specific department...just pressed *2 and activations I think was what I selected. They answer with some new phrase about premier something or other I think. I normally just start saying "agent" as soon as the automated menu stuff kicks in...always seems to get me to the same place.

I am one of those rare ones who has almost nothing bad to say about Sprint CS though so maybe I am just lucky

[bikedogrun]

Originally Posted by orbitz

No specific department...just pressed *2 and activations I think was what I selected. They answer with some new phrase about premier something or other I think. I normally just start saying "agent" as soon as the automated menu stuff kicks in...always seems to get me to the same place.

I am one of those rare ones who has almost nothing bad to say about Sprint CS though so maybe I am just lucky

Thanks, Orbitz.

BTW - I also have had nothing but positive experience with Sprint CSRs the 5-6 times I've called in my 6 months with them. Probably more of us "rare" ones than you might think ... people who are pleased tend to not say much - the unhappy ones are the ones who post & rant.

/BD

[voyager9355]

FWIW....

I just activated an 8830 on Sprint's network, and the agent INSISTED that the ONLY data plan that would work with the 8830 was the $69.99 world plan. (I was dumbfounded...have never paid more than $44.99/mopnth for data from ANY carrier!)

I went online & went throught the "buy a phone" process, and whaddaya know...the BB unlimited data plan was only $39.99. She said "it hasn't been updated yet on the website". She told me that the "BlackBerry People" said that if you activate the $39.99 data plan, it will work for two days then stop. Whether the Blackberry people to whom she was referring were internal to Sprint or RIM remains a mystery.

Anyone experienced this?
Sounds to me like Sprint is trying to get more $$$ from its customers.

[vawireless]

as for the international plan, I've heard if you sign up for the domestic plan first, then you can change back and forth to the worldwide plan. vice versa might be the problem.

[djm2]

Originally Posted by bikedogrun

Thanks, Orbitz.

BTW - I also have had nothing but positive experience with Sprint CSRs the 5-6 times I've called in my 6 months with them. Probably more of us "rare" ones than you might think ... people who are pleased tend to not say much - the unhappy ones are the ones who post & rant.

/BD

Well, we have three in this thread then, and I've been with them for nine years.

I have also been assured that switching back and form from international to US is fine, with time for provisioning. Haven't done it yet, and probably won't try until the end of September. A couple of trips to London beckon.

[bikedogrun]

Originally Posted by djm2

Well, we have three in this thread then, and I've been with them for nine years.

I have also been assured that switching back and form from international to US is fine, with time for provisioning. Haven't done it yet, and probably won't try until the end of September. A couple of trips to London beckon.

Good to hear that too ... it is amazing right now reading all of these threads. Seems like some parts of Sprint are having two significant issues helping customers with new 8830s:

1.) CSRs are telling folks that new SERO Plans cannot (even though it is there on the SERO page to order) have a BB Plan added? Well; of course they can!

2.) CSRs are saying that "there is a problem using the $39.95 Domestic BB Plan, we can only sell you the full $69.95 BB Intl plan at this time?

What is going on here???

/BD

[orbitz]

Originally Posted by voyager9355

FWIW....

I just activated an 8830 on Sprint's network, and the agent INSISTED that the ONLY data plan that would work with the 8830 was the $69.99 world plan. (I was dumbfounded...have never paid more than $44.99/mopnth for data from ANY carrier!)

I went online & went throught the "buy a phone" process, and whaddaya know...the BB unlimited data plan was only $39.99. She said "it hasn't been updated yet on the website". She told me that the "BlackBerry People" said that if you activate the $39.99 data plan, it will work for two days then stop. Whether the Blackberry people to whom she was referring were internal to Sprint or RIM remains a mystery.

Anyone experienced this?
Sounds to me like Sprint is trying to get more $$$ from its customers.

Yep..you were just flat told wrong. You can sign up for either plan with the 8830...I have had both plans on mine and both work perfectly.

[jordana816]

I am goign to Israel in mid august. Do you know how far in advance i need to switch to the international plan? how long does it take to provision?

it the international sim unlocked when I buy it? or do I need to take the bb to a third party to be unlocked?

[cruzer3]

Not sure if the SIM is unlocked, just recieved my 8830 from Sprint yesterday. I was told that it takes about an hour, while you on the plan you can switch over and by the time you land it will be provisioned. At least that was what I was told from CS.