What Type SIM Card Is in the Sprint BlackBerry 9630?

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Blackberry devices on the Sprint network do not use a SIM card.

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Wireless phone customers who buy a Blackberry 9630 for use on the Sprint network may be surprised to find that the device lacks the subscriber identity module usually known as a SIM card. Because Sprint uses a different wireless technology that makes these cards unnecessary, customers may notice other differences when using this phone on the Sprint network.

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Wireless carriers that use Global Standard for Mobile Communications technology store subscriber information on a subscriber information module. As users move this module from phone to phone, the user’s profile moves along with the card. Sprint uses a wireless technology known as Code Division Multiple Access; this technology stores the subscriber’s information in the carrier’s network, eliminating the need for a SIM card. According to Blackberry, the 9630 supports GSM and CDMA networks, so Sprint customers who purchase this model may find an empty SIM card slot inside the device.

Activation

Blackberry 9630 owners who use the devices on GSM networks need only install the SIM card into the phone to activate it, and these users can generally begin using the phone right away. Because Sprint stores the user’s subscriber data in its network, though, CDMA activation requires registering the device with the carrier’s network. According to wireless consultants at Just Cellular Store, Sprint allows users to register the Blackberry 9630 online by logging into the website and providing the phone’s electronic serial number. During the registration process, the website provides detailed instructions for programming the handset for use on the CDMA network. Users who do not have an existing Sprint account or who cannot access the company’s website may call Sprint to register the device or take it to a Sprint store for activation. According to Just Cellular Store, users may need to wait up to four hours before using the device.

Benefits

Though Sprint customers must take extra steps to activate the Blackberry 9630, communication professionals at the Private Line website explain that CDMA technology does offer some advantages over GSM service. Sprint customers may enjoy clearer, more reliable voice calls when compared with customers on other networks, and CDMA service provides a higher level of privacy. Sprint Blackberry 9630 owners may also experience longer talk times on a single battery charge than those who use the phone on GSM networks.

Considerations

Though the Sprint Blackberry 9630 does not use a SIM card, Blackberry advises that Sprint users have access to the same features and services available on other networks. Blackberry also notes that the 9630’s multi-band support allows owners to use the device on different networks; if the user inserts a SIM card, the card overrides the device’s CDMA registration and switches the 9630 to the appropriate GSM network. In the absence of a SIM card, the Blackberry 9630 defaults to CDMA operation.

ReferencesPrivate Line; CDMA Benefits; Tom Farley and Mark van der Hoek; January 2006Just Cellular Store; Sprint ActivationBlackberry; 9630 Getting Started GuideResourcesBlackberrySprintPhoto Credit George Doyle & Ciaran Griffin/Stockbyte/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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