BlackBerry® Style™

[vfr-sport]

I need to have a Sprint BB Style 9670 unlocked to use on Canadian CDMA networks. It doesn't have a SIM card. Anyone have this problem or can point me to the proper way to unlock it? I chatted with Sprint but they don't want to do anything. Thanks

[sdgardne]

Hi and Welcome to the Community...and apologies for the delayed reply!

Please refer to this helpful post:

• http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/General-BlackBerry-Functions-and/Unlocking-your-BlackBerry-Gu...

However, please be sure to check with the specific carriers you wish to operate on to be sure that your BB hardware is compatible with their network (e.g., radio technologies and frequencies)...if not, then there's nothing to be done.

Good luck!

[vfr-sport]

I have got the phone unlocked. I was talking to Bell Mobility support to get it activated but they said the phone will not work for some reason. I know Bell Mobility uses the BB Style 9670 and that they have a CDMA network in place. How can I contact BB/RIM to see what can be done to alleviate this issue???? Thanks in advance.

Stan

[sdgardne]

Actually, you can't contact RIM for this (indeed, there is no free method for any end users to directly contact RIM for any support whatsoever). Indeed, the carrier has the final say as to what devices they allow onto their network. If they say no, then that's the end of it...they own their network, RIM does not. It is a pity that they did not give you any actual reason though..."some reason" doesn't really tell anyone anything.

If there is a technical reason that your BB will not work on that network (e.g., incompatible radio frequencies), then there's nothing anyone can do anyway...that's a hardware issue, inside the BB itself... I don't, however, know enough about your specific device nor that carriers network to provide any sort of useful data on the subject. I'm sure there are plenty of Internet resources with data that could help you though.

Good luck!

[vfr-sport]

Well, It's a CDMA device that works on CDMA 800 and CDMA 1900 Frequencies, it has no SIM card. Now, it was made for the Sprint network and I downloaded the correct device software that RIM listed for Bell Mobility. They should be able to add the MEID # to the Bell network but the Tech support people said that it wouldn't work. The phone will physically connect to the wireless network, giving me the 1xev mode telling me that the CDMA network is available in my region.

[sdgardne]

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vfr-sport wrote:

I downloaded the correct device software that RIM listed for Bell Mobility.

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That actually doesn't matter...the OS packages are universal, they do not restrict nor apply to any specific carrier network. It's just that the carriers are responsible for the release cycle to their end users (since they are also responsible for the support to their end users). Hence, each carrier controls what OS they release to their end users, and often they will "wrap" it with those annoying "teaser" icons and apps that they want their users to have. But, there's nothing requiring you to use the OS package from the carrier you are using. (There is a necessary "trick" however, related to VENDOR.XML files.)

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vfr-sport wrote:

They should be able to add the MEID # to the Bell network but the Tech support people said that it wouldn't work. The phone will physically connect to the wireless network, giving me the 1xev mode telling me that the CDMA network is available in my region.

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I don't know "why" it won't work...but if the Bell Mobility folks won't allow it, then there's nothing you can do (from your words, I'm not quite sure if they've actually refused, or are willing but just stumped). Sharing devices (indeed, many things...just try to get international roaming to work!!) across different CDMA networks is much trickier than GSM networks, but the necessary work is on the carrier side, not on the device side (as far as I understand it, never having actually been "on" the carrier side of things!). According to this KB, though, they should be able to make it work:

• KB03889 Changing the service provider or network

Have you tried manually choosing the network on the BB?

• KB02516 How to manually switch wireless networks on a BlackBerry smartphone

There used to be a way to do that, but I'm not actually sure it remains available for newer devices/OS levels.

If Bell is willing to have you as a customer, then they also have the ability to escalate up to RIM for enhanced support...have they done that? Or are they just "willing" yet unable?

Until 1xev changes to 1XEV, nothing will work...and normally, that's an issue of the carrier network systems...not the device itself...

Good luck and let us know!

[vfr-sport]

Thanks, I will check this out. SHould I change the Mobile Country code and Mobile Network code that is in the CDMA programming mode once the phone is unlocked??? Although what I have seen of the Network codes, the field in the programming screen on the BB is not long enough the 3 digits I have found for Bell Mobility.

Stan

[sdgardne]

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vfr-sport wrote:

Thanks, I will check this out. SHould I change the Mobile Country code and Mobile Network code that is in the CDMA programming mode

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Sorry, you've lost me there...I've no idea where you are looking on your BB.

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vfr-sport wrote:

once the phone is unlocked???

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That's confusing...I thought you already got the BB unlocked from Sprint? Or do you perhaps mean some other locking function?

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vfr-sport wrote:

Although what I have seen of the Network codes, the field in the programming screen on the BB is not long enough the 3 digits I have found for Bell Mobility.

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As I said, I've no idea what screen you are looking at there...

What OS are you running please? I have some simulator apps and can perhaps follow along better if I'm sure to be running the same version as your BB.

[vfr-sport]

Hi, sorry for the confusion. I got an unlock code from a 3rd party, CellUnlocker.net, I believe. On the BB Style 9670, a CDMA phone, you type in the 6 digit unlock code, ##xxxxxx, and it takes you into a screen where you can put in your new cell number, or programming mode as the Bell tech called it. I has other various fields you can change, such as the Mobile Country Code and Mobile Network Code.

I am running the OS 6, the version which is supposedly the version authorized by Bell Mobility for the BB Style 9670.

[vfr-sport]

Also just checked the OS.

It is BB 6 OS, specifically OS 6.0 Bundle 864 (v6.0.0.286 Platform (4.4.0.186) which I downloaded from the RIM site specifically for the Bell Mobility.

WHen I received the phone it had BB 6 OS, Bundle 3049 when it came from SPrint.