{"id":231,"date":"2019-06-04T09:45:24","date_gmt":"2019-06-04T15:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.curli.us\/?p=231"},"modified":"2020-10-02T11:22:07","modified_gmt":"2020-10-02T17:22:07","slug":"blackberry-key2-and-verizon-wireless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.curli.us\/?p=231","title":{"rendered":"BlackBerry KEY2 and Verizon Wireless"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Carrier and Model<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is a very unique accomplishment. I’ve hoped for this moment for a very long time and now that it has happened I am very happy and pleased. The BlackBerry KEY2 (BBF100-2) is fully<\/em> compatible with Verizon Wireless. I am referring to voice, text, and LTE data. Also HD voice (in fact, only <\/em>HD voice because the phone has no CDMA capability).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note, I am NOT<\/strong> referring to the BlackBerry KEY2 LE. See screenshot to the left. I am referring to the original BlackBerry KEY2, retail cost $650 USD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BlackBerry BBF100-2 specifications:
https:\/\/www.gsmarena.com\/blackberry_key2-9187.php#bbf100-2<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When this phone was launched in Q2 2018, it was advertised as specifically not <\/em>compatible with Verizon Wireless. I tried this myself and indeed placing a VZW SIM card in the phone said “Invalid SIM” and nothing worked. Then in Q1 2019 due to other events I tried a VZW SIM card in the phone again and this time it identified as “Verizon Wireless LTE”. The correct phone number populated and incoming\/outgoing phone calls worked flawlessly on HD voice. I was able to brows the Internet and conduct a speed test. I assume that VZW has allowed more LTE bands to communicate on their network, which falls in the compatibility of this device. GSM Arena lists the capability of the BBF100-2 as LTE bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66. I don’t know what VZW utilizes, but it must include some of these bands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately SMS (text messages) did not successfully test. I was able to send outgoing SMS messages but I could not <\/em>receive incoming SMS messages. After many hours of troubleshooting, I finally received the definitive answer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This device is not supported and will not be supported by the Verizon Wireless network. It is not <\/strong>compatible with our network.<\/p>VZW Tier 2 Support<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I knew the solution was to add the SFO code 83856.<\/strong> This code provisions the network to accept a “CDMA-less device” and allow SMS messages to be received. VZW support could not add this SFO code to my account. I tried multiple times with multiple calls. Every one failed. I stumbled upon the solution randomly thinking about my issue. I borrowed a friends BlackBerry KEY2 LE (BBE100-5), put in my VZW SIM card, called VZW support, added SFO code 83856, then put my VZW SIM card back in my BlackBerry KEY2 (BBF100-2). As of that moment, all incoming SMS messages were successfully received from all tests on all networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that I posses the knowledge of how to get this phone to operate 100% on Verizon Wireless, it does not seem very difficult, yet it took me almost 3 weeks to become successful. You do have to find a donor BBE100-5 though. Best Buy will not allow you to use an in-store demo (I tried this). I am very <\/em>frustrated that VZW told me the device is “not compatible” yet it obviously is compatible. I feel like I was lied to. I want to complain to Verizon Wireless management about this discrepancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Update: August 25, 2020<\/strong>
I wanted to report that if you decide to change from<\/em> the KEY2 to another phone and remain on Verizon Wireless, you will need to specifically call Customer Support and request the specific SFO code be removed<\/strong> from your line, otherwise you will not be able to send\/receive SMS messages. Speaking from experience!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is a very unique accomplishment. I’ve hoped for this moment for a very long time and now that it has happened I am very happy and pleased. The BlackBerry KEY2 (BBF100-2) is fully compatible with Verizon Wireless. I am referring to voice, text, and LTE data. Also HD voice (in fact, only HD voice … Continue reading “BlackBerry KEY2 and Verizon Wireless”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6,13,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rant","category-smartphones","category-technology"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BMx4-3J","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curli.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curli.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curli.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curli.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curli.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=231"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.curli.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":527,"href":"https:\/\/www.curli.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231\/revisions\/527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curli.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curli.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curli.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}