Failed number port?

[alnerdo]

Hello, 

I activated my new SIM card yesterday around 11 pm. I got an unlocked refurbished Blackberry Curve 9360. I only want to use talk and text, not data, so I don't really care if data works or not. I tried to port my number from Rogers. Now my Rogers SIM card is deactivated. The new SIM card is not connecting to the network, however. No talk, text, nothing... SOS calls only. The Blackberry can "see" the SIM card and display the SIM ID number but it shows "unknown number" where the phone number is usually listed. When I put my old SIM cards into the new phone I can see the SIM number and my phone number, but of course I can't make calls because those accounts are inactive now. The tests I have been able to do suggest but don't 100% confirm that the new phone is good. 

I sent a PM to mods this morning around 7 am... waited all day, no response yet. I'm not 100% sure but I think it's more likely that something failed in the porting process rather than the SIM card being defective. 

The question is, can number ports get "stuck" half-way, with the old account being turned off but somehow failing to activate at the new provider? 

I am trying to get my old Rogers phone unlocked and test the new SIM card in it. That should at least tell me if it's a problem with the phone or some kind of problem with the SIM card. But if it doesn't work, it will not tell me if the SIM card is defective or if the number port failed. Is there any way to check that without waiting for moderator response? 

Thanks. 

[surreyboyz]

@alnerdo Well Technically based on What you wrote  its listed on best buy market place as Being Compatible with any GSM network is 100% correct. You didn't do your homework. The Statement is 100% accurate. It will work with any GSM Network around the world. The Problem in your case is Public Mobile lacks the GSM 2G Network.

[computergeek541]

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@alnerdo wrote:

Fingers crossed I can return the Blackberry (it was advertised as working with "any GSM network") and get my old Rogers phone unlocked. 

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That statement is correct.  Public Mobile doesn't have a GSM network.

[alnerdo]

@Gonzo That makes sense... this is not readily obvious from the documentation available on the surface of the PM website, and might be useful for people to know if they are switching to a bring-your-own phone service with limited customer support. I wonder if there is a way to get that feedback to the PM people? Not that I would fault them... I think signing up to pay less to get less it is to be expected that you will have to do your own research and troubleshooting. 

I think the PM model is especially good if you have someone who has gone through the switch process and refers you, then they can give you a lot of information you might not have known, like how to unlock your phone and that the providers have to do it for free now. For someone like me coming in with no referral, on my own, it seems to me now in retrospect that there could be a bit more of a guide regarding how to get a phone and bring it to PM. I would have done some things differently looking back, like checking the phone compatibility more thoroughly and securing access to a known working (on Public Mobile) phone to test the SIM card. 

[alnerdo]

Yup... got my iPhone unlocked from Rogers, put in the Public Mobile SIM card, and it works. I think the issue was that particular Blackberry's (lack of) compatibility with the Public Mobile frequency bands. Will be following up with Best Buy about this as their online marketplace certainly does not make that clear. 

[Gonzo]

Unfortunately as far as I know the IMEI lookup is about blacklisting, so whether or not your phone was reported lost or stolen, not hardware compatibility. Folks on this forum have been using http://www.willmyphonework.net/ to check for compatibility.

[alnerdo]

Ah... I think this is it. Your reply prompted me to do some more digging because I saw the phone was picking up the WIND network. The phone I believe originally came from Orange mobile in Dominican Republic and supports bands 2,4,6 and is not compatible with Public Mobile 3G frequency. Only detects WIND and EXT. I think this is the problem. I didn't think it would be an issue because I don't need data but it looks like this will make talk and text not work either. 

Funny, I looked up the IMEI on the Public Mobile webpage and it said it would be compatible but the issue turned out to be a lot more nuanced than that. Now I know more about Blackberry phones than I ever really wanted to. 

Fingers crossed I can return the Blackberry (it was advertised as working with "any GSM network") and get my old Rogers phone unlocked. 

[surreyboyz · Accepted solution]

Where is your 9360 Curve From originally?  Did it come from Wind and or Mobilicity?  If so it won't work with Public Mobile.