Bell launching $30 unlimited data plan for BlackBerry and Windows Mobile
From HowardForums: Bell is launching two new personal data plans similar to Telus’ Email and Web 30.
- Unlimited Personal Email & Internet BlackBerry 30
- Unlimited Personal Email & Internet Windows Mobile 30
On the BlackBerry, this package offers unlimited data since all traffic flows through the BIS browsing transport - the only thing restricted is tethering the device to a computer for Internet access, which is charged at $15/MB. US roaming is $8/MB, both figures which seem to fall in with the ridiculous state of Canadian wireless data charges.
While I personally don’t use Bell for wireless - and would definitely go with Telus over Bell if choosing between CDMA carriers - the company has a large number of BlackBerry devices provisioned. It’s a competitive move before the Rogers iPhone and BlackBerry Bold launch, and if you don’t need BES access, this might be a worthwhile plan to investigate.
Adam:
Tempting price! If Rogers comes out with a similar plan so that I can use my iPhone however the hell I want however much I want all month for $30, I’ll likely bite the bullet.
May 28, 2008, 9:47 pmCurve8330:
I’ve been told by the Bell support that the $30 DOES include BES support. Have you heard differently?
June 4, 2008, 1:03 amJake Billo:
I haven’t heard confirmation or denial about that. If someone can toss me the PIN of a device that’s actually functional on this plan, I can certainly check whether it’s registered for the Prosumer billing code (BIS) or E+ (BIS and BES).
Alternatively, you could call the Bell data team and ask whoever provisions the devices whether they activate them for Prosumer or Enterprise Plus - if they’re familiar with the BlackBerry infrastructure at all, or have authority to activate devices through WebAdmin, they’ll be able to tell you.
Just going from what I understand, though… there’s no present BES plan in Canada that comes in at under $40/month. Rogers’ low end packages specifically exclude BES support and I’m not sure what Telus does for theirs.
June 4, 2008, 1:13 amDmitry:
How do they know that I’m tethering?
June 17, 2008, 11:34 pmJake Billo:
The current CDMA providers use a different tethering gateway than standard BlackBerry data - I believe Telus’ is rim.telusmobility.com for on-device data and 1x.telusmobility.com for tethering.
CDMA carriers also can apply more restrictions to their devices at manufacturing; in theory they could get RIM to block tethering at the factory.
June 18, 2008, 11:34 amDmitry:
OK, but what if I have WM, not BB and it has custom ROM (unlocked phone)?
June 18, 2008, 12:10 pmIn my PDA I have data connection which is always there and it’s the same. The only thing I do to tether is that I enable Connection Sharing in the Communication Manager.
As I understand that makes my PDA as a gateway/router device and my laptop as a client device. In terms of connecting to the Wireless provider network, nothing has changed at all, as I understand.
In that situation how they can tell if it’s the PDA downloading data or laptop connected via USB cable to that PDA?
Jake Billo:
I’ll preface this by saying that I don’t have experience with WM, but from what you’re saying, a registry hacked/unlocked ROM phone should have no distinction between on-device and tethered data.
Unless Bell is somehow detecting the Connection Sharing status (the device has to enable NAT somehow), in theory you shouldn’t have an issue.
I guess you could always try it for a month and then claim ignorance if you get hit for large charges. Usually the first massive overage will be credited if you call billing and plead your case.
June 18, 2008, 1:58 pmDmitry:
Thanks for your comments, Jake.
June 18, 2008, 2:07 pmThat’s what I thought as well. I guess the only way they can tell in my case if I start downloading enormous amount of data. But I’m not interested in that, what I’m interested is the user experience (big screen, convenient typing on the keyboard, etc.) which laptop gives me as oppose to the PDA.
Jonathan:
I was unable to get my blackberry enterprise server working with this service attached to my contract. I signed up with it before very much was even leaked about it and never saw anything in regards to this. But as i found out when i called Bell(hell) bes service is restricted, no idea why, but its a pain the lower region. If only we could get a legitimate mobile data provider that could provide voice web and mail for a cheap price.
By the way to get this service added onto my contract, which is a family corporate plan…go fig, I had to fight for about two weeks. Over those two weeks I was told three times it was going to be added, and on the final occasion I threatened to cancel my contract. So in the end they completly renewed my grandfather plan backdated everything and made it work.
Don’t fight the system, take a huge F*88 chunk out of them.
June 21, 2008, 7:00 pmJake Billo:
Ugh, a family corporate plan sounds like a real mess to provision properly. Glad you got things working out.
BES service is something that all Canadian and US carriers charge more for, because RIM in turn charges the carriers for the capability. I didn’t expect it’d be available on the consumer level packages, but it would have been nice if Bell had stepped up to the plate for businesses.
June 21, 2008, 7:06 pmJonathan:
“”Ugh, a family corporate plan sounds like a real mess to provision properly. Glad you got things working out.
BES service is something that all Canadian and US carriers charge more for, because RIM in turn charges the carriers for the capability. I didn’t expect it’d be available on the consumer level packages, but it would have been nice if Bell had stepped up to the plate for businesses.”"
Yah i don’t assume things are going to work with my contract anymore, even on the phone the gentleman i was talking to tried to push me towards canceling my unlimited email and web browser for my phone, i said NO NO NO four times. The sad thing is my boss had to pay 150$ for a license to use bes, and now im stuck having to either switch my contract to get less data for more money simply because im part of a business. I get the feeling with this most recent news, bell is a cheap street lady, and they feel as if business’s can pay a bit more then the consumer.
June 21, 2008, 7:16 pm