[dhood0202]

I purchased a Sprint blackberry that was unlocked to work on the Alltel network. I activated the phone for Alltel and it worked fine, other than the internet and blackberry features would not work. Does anyone know how to unlock the phone back to Sprint? Thanks.

[kirrinjones]

Wirelessly posted

Unlocking the phone means that it can be used on any compatible network. So once you have a SIM card that is compatible with the phone (GSM, CDMA, etc) then the phone will work, so all you have to do is place a sprint SIM card in the phone and you're back on the sprint network, when you're ready again, just pop an alltel Sim in there and you're good.

[Dubdub]

Unlocking a GSM phone does what was said above. Once unlocked, the device is always unlocked. However it does nothing to a US CDMA device. US carriers do not allow non-carrier branded devices on their networks (i.e. no Verizon phone on the Sprint network and vice versa).

Now if what you are calling unlocked was actually using an illegal means to reflash the device, then all bets are off and most likely you won't be able to do it.

IMHO, all you need to do is call Sprint and give them the ESN and PIN and they should be able to log you onto their network, as long as it really is a Sprint device. If you treid to use BIS on Alltel, then make sure you cancel your BIS account along with your voice and data service. Otherwise no email from Sprint either.

[takeshi]

Locking and unlocking isn't relevant to CDMA devices except hybrids like the 9530 and, IIRC the 8830. It's definitely not relevant when it comes to switching CDMA carriers. In any case, you don't "unlock to" (you only "unlock from") and you certainly can't "lock to".

To switch CDMA carriers you just need to have the new carrier activate the device. That is, assuming that they allow other carrier's devices.

[Teksu]

someone probably just threw a sprint houseing on a alltel device, perhaps due to lense damage and sold it as unlocked... lol