As of this month, Bell Mobility will now officially support the Blackberry 7250 for high-speed EVDO (~1Mbps nominal speeds). EVDO is now available in all major urban centres in Canada, and coverage is expanding all the time – why, this week they turned on EVDO in the Muskokas, in case you need to get your Google Maps fix while on the lake. Later this year they will upgrade the network to run at 3Mbps. So…it’s a good thing to have.
Here’s how to get it:
# Backup all your data and extra programs from your Blackberry, just in case.
# Upgrade to Version 4.1 Desktop and Handheld Software.
NOTE: Upgrading will take 10 minutes at which time the device will appear unresponsive. This is perfectly normal.
NOTE to BES Enterprise Mail users: You will need to redo the Enterprise Activation after the upgrade.
# Go to one of select Bell World stores to get your device re-flashed to EVDO. They *should not* be charging for this service as it is a maintenance upgrade.
# The indicator should indicate “1XEV” when the Mobile Browser is running (assuming you are in the EVDO coverage area, such as the Greater Toronto Area).
You may also notice that the new v4.1 Handheld software will now let you to use the 7250 as a wireless modem. It’s expensive though, so I would check with Bell World for unlimited plans.