[bbiz]

For those who have traveled outside the US with unlocked 8800s and purchased local mobile accounts, were you able to insert the local SIM cards and use your BB smoothly?

Please mention the country, the approximate local voice/data charge and your US carrier. Thanks

[wcberry]

With an unlocked GSM BB you can put other SIMs in it. Only the voice part works as the other SIMs do not have data plans on them. They could but ususally dont if you are just visiting. I have been all over SouthWest Asia (Kuwait, UAE, Saudi, etc) doing this, but it is really not worth the effort as the SIM is such a pain to get out of the 8800. Much easier for me to carry another phone, (I use the Razr) and put the other carrier's SIM in it and keep my home SIM in my BB. Since I am Cingular, it is $65 for unlimited international data. The phone side of the BB also works but at a much higher rate than the local SIM. There is a big savings by using the local SIM for phone.

[bbiz]

Originally Posted by wcberry

it is $65 for unlimited international data. The phone side of the BB also works but at a much higher rate than the local SIM. There is a big savings by using the local SIM for phone.

Yeah, I have local SIMS in four countries for a Samsung phone. Wanted data capability too though.

I looked on the BB site to see if there was a list of countries where BB data service was available, but couldn't find one. Ever seen one?

[wcberry]

Almost all the countries that have GSM have BBs with data plans. The problem is you can not add the data plans to the pay as you go type SIMs. You will need to set up an account with those local companys that you have SIMS with which will be very expensive to have multiple accounts. As I said, I have Cingular and can use it all over the UK, Europe and Southwest Asia. This is both voice and data on my Cingular account. This is the cheapest way to go, but voice will not be that cheap.
It is not that there is any technical reason, just that you cant get that type of accounts as a tourist. For instance, just to get a SIM that is not pay as you go in Kuwait, you have to have a Resident Visa. Now you could get someone to get the SIM in their name and set up the account, but it will not be cheap. Just not worth in my opinion.

[weath]

I concur with wcberry. I travel extensively throughout southeast Asia. I do exactly the same thing. I use my US SIM with an intl BB plan for email/data access, and a locally purchased pay-as-you-go SIM for voice/SMS appropriate for the country I am in for exactly the same reason. Having a BB data plan in another country generally means having a subscription line (NOT pay-as-you-go), which means a work visa for that country. While you could get someone in that country to get that additional line, a host of other issues may arise (how are you going to pay the bill? etc).

I use the same setup as wcberry. I have a second unlocked phone (readily available outside the US) for that other (pre-paid/pay-as-you-go) SIM. these SIMs are readily available, and may only require you to produce a passport/other form of ID to purchase.

It means carrying 2 phones (or 3 sometimes), but it works quite well.

[bbiz]

I wish a data bridging company would appear. Back in the mid 90s a company (don't recall the name) created a network of local dial-up ISPs 138 countries. As travelers, we carried an application on our laptops that listed the local ISP dial-up number in each of 2000 cities we could use to access the Internet using our home ISPs uid/pw. Though the connections were sometimes poor, it gave us access. Members of the network agreed to pass-through or standard pricing. I had an account with Jaring.my, a Malaysian ISP, and would see the global charges on my monthly bill.

Hope a company comes out with a similar network for GPRS. In the developed countries (or major cities in lesser developed countries) there is usually adequate Wifi; but otherwise, GPRS is necessary.

[bbiz]

I wish a data bridging company would appear. Back in the mid 90s a company (don't recall the name) created a network of local dial-up ISPs in 138 countries. As travelers, we carried an application on our laptops that listed the local ISP dial-up number in each of 2000+ cities we could use to access the Internet using our home ISPs uid/pw. Though the connections were sometimes poor, it gave us access. Members of the network agreed to pass-through or standard pricing. I had an account with Jaring.my, a Malaysian ISP, and would see the global charges on my monthly bill.

Hope a company comes out with a similar network for GPRS. In the developed countries (or in major cities in lesser developed countries) there is usually adequate wifi in airports, hotels, patisseries, etc.; but away from those, GPRS is necessary.

[Austin_007]

I'm using a local Sim here in Italy from TIM with my BB 8830 from Bell (Canada), and I get data too, even BB mesenger works fine, very easy to set up, just went to the store, got the SIM card, them called TIM customer service and they activated my BB, now I have an Italian local number, but full data access. I even got a TIM BB email, and now get my regular BB BELL canada email together, even PIM messages. One thing, the GPS only work if I use a Bluetooh GPS antenna.

[Markcarovilli]

Originally Posted by Austin_007

I'm using a local Sim here in Italy from TIM with my BB 8830 from Bell (Canada), and I get data too, even BB mesenger works fine, very easy to set up, just went to the store, got the SIM card, them called TIM customer service and they activated my BB, now I have an Italian local number, but full data access. I even got a TIM BB email, and now get my regular BB BELL canada email together, even PIM messages. One thing, the GPS only work if I use a Bluetooh GPS antenna.

this is what I was hoping for in Italy! Does the tethering option work as well so you can use your laptop and the BB as modem? How much did the TIM BB service cost? I use a TIM SIM on a prepaid card can I add the BB to that do you think?

thanks for the info - Mark

[Austin_007]

Originally Posted by Markcarovilli

this is what I was hoping for in Italy! Does the tethering option work as well so you can use your laptop and the BB as modem? How much did the TIM BB service cost? I use a TIM SIM on a prepaid card can I add the BB to that do you think?

thanks for the info - Mark

Hey Mark

When I got my SIM card, it was just for voice, them I called costumer service and ask to add my BB, I was ask to put more credit, in total so far £30 (including the price of the SIM card) for 100 mb they said it should be more than enough for a month.

About using it as a moden, don't know, but will call and ask.

[shtekler]

Originally Posted by wcberry

With an unlocked GSM BB you can put other SIMs in it. Only the voice part works as the other SIMs do not have data plans on them. They could but ususally dont if you are just visiting. I have been all over SouthWest Asia (Kuwait, UAE, Saudi, etc) doing this, but it is really not worth the effort as the SIM is such a pain to get out of the 8800. Much easier for me to carry another phone, (I use the Razr) and put the other carrier's SIM in it and keep my home SIM in my BB. Since I am Cingular, it is $65 for unlimited international data. The phone side of the BB also works but at a much higher rate than the local SIM. There is a big savings by using the local SIM for phone.

I have an BB8800 Cingular ATT unlocked here in the USA ,I have also an ISRALi ORANG BIG TALK (pay as you go ) SIM
when I put the ORANG SIM here in the US the phone log into T-MOBIL I canot make phone calls only to recive calls DATA works parfect.