BIS Information

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Grant49

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Hi there,

I recently got the Blackberry Curve 9300 with the R69 BIS service included.
Vodacom and Blackberry advertise that you get free browsing, free email, free twitter, free FB etc. (all of which I use a lot).

Is all of the above absolutely true as I am always sceptical in the SA internet environment, particularly with Vodacom, and don't want my first bill to come as a shock.

Furthermore, if the browsing is free, is this only from the Blackberry Browser (not Opera etc.)?
 
Yes it is true and it is all free....
To prevent Billing Shockers set your APN to blackberry.net
That makes it only use BIS for all internet activities.
I use Opera mini without any extra charges
 
Grant49 said:
Hi there,

I recently got the Blackberry Curve 9300 with the R69 BIS service included.
Vodacom and Blackberry advertise that you get free browsing, free email, free twitter, free FB etc. (all of which I use a lot).

Is all of the above absolutely true as I am always sceptical in the SA internet environment, particularly with Vodacom, and don't want my first bill to come as a shock.

Furthermore, if the browsing is free, is this only from the Blackberry Browser (not Opera etc.)?
Click to expand...

Yes...that is correct.

Opera should go via BIS also, but to make sure you can change your APN to blackberry.net to make sure it does.

Enjoy and welcome to the fantabolous world of Blackberry.
 
Okay, I'm also skeptical about this. On a 8520, we've done the whole APN trick, but when you use the phones WAP browser, it bills you at normal data rates. I would have thought that setting the APN overrides the normal wap browser settings.

What I've also seen is that when we send a large file attachment (3MB), we get a message saying that we will be billed at normal rates so it's not really free. Free if you send small files, not for 3MB so there are some limitations.
 
Changing to blackberry.net does not guarantee additional charges, it does however reduce the likelihood of it.
BIS covers all browsing in its default browser, some versions of opera do not work with BIS, certain applications also do not work with bis but thats less than 10% of them. Facebook and Twitter and such use exclusively BIS.

If the application is designed to work via internet and not bis changing the apn will not affect it at all, the only guarantee is to have internet removed from your line itself. This will however prevent the only 9300/OS6 versions of mxit from working. I have stumbled onto 3 applications 1 was mxit, then there was mylookout and i forget the name of the 3rd that will absolutely not work without the internet apn.

Youtube and any other form of streaming media, be it video or music will not work via BIS, the BIS server directly blocks any streaming media and your handset will utilize internet for this irrespective of what application you use including the web browser. There are 1 or 2 other exceptions listed int eh T&C, but as vodacom will tell you, there is no guarantee that any 4rd party app will work via BIS and they will not refund any charges int eh event that a 3rd party app not developed by RIM causes any additional charges.

I speak from experience here, my apn is set to blackberry.net and youtube still works and i most definitely pay for it, the test cost me R14, as i have almost R400 in airtime i don't actually care, but it shows that altering the apn has little to no effect on the internet usage as each app works off its own service book and if the service book says internet then your apns settings are completely ignored.
 
@Cranial => You've mentioned removing the internet setting - is this done via the phone or SP? Reason I ask is coz Nashua Mobile were confused when I asked them to remove the WAP APN
 
Bighit said:
@Cranial => You've mentioned removing the internet setting - is this done via the phone or SP? Reason I ask is coz Nashua Mobile were confused when I asked them to remove the WAP APN
Click to expand...

You need to call 155, nashua would have no idea what you are talking about or how to do it, even if they had the required access to vodacoms systems to do such a thing.
Only vodacoms advanced data desk has the knowledge to escalate your query to a technician who can do that, it will not and cannot be done while you are on the line.

Just ask them to remove the internet apn access from your line, you wish to use BIS exclusively in order to avoid any possible charges, do note that as soon as its removed any application that needs that apn will stop working. In my experience if you stay off youtube and avoid any OTA backup application then if there area any charges it will be minimal, something like mxit wont even cost 10c for an entire day.

Removing the apn is an extremem measure, my worst charge for a month was like R30, once i figured out what apps to avoid i barely break R5.
 
I thought it would be simple for me...but how does one change/check the APN for your applications?
 
Thanks. Enabled APN and typed in the address: blackberry.net with no APN authentication? Hope that is correct.

Changed from a Nokia E71 yesterday so a bit lost at time :-/
 
Grant49 said:
Thanks. Enabled APN and typed in the address: blackberry.net with no APN authentication? Hope that is correct.

Changed from a Nokia E71 yesterday so a bit lost at time :-/
Click to expand...

Yep, and dont worry you made a smart choice. You are now a member of the elite...
 
Thanks for the link. I searched on the forum for my query, but I guess I missed it.
 
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