Rogers Wireless Blackberry in Japan
After about two months of trying, success! We finally have liftoff, Houston, or more importantly, we’ve been able to get a Blackberry (attached to our corporate BES) going in Japan.
Background: SSID here in Canada operates numerous communication networks for mobile devices ranging from the ultra-secure Exchange/ActiveSync over the air with SSL and IP tunnelling, to Blackberry Enterprise, to run of the mill IMAP4 with GPRS.
Late last year, I purchased a few Blackberry 8707′s to attach to our Blackberry Enterprise network. These devices are set up for GSM, GPRS, EDGE and UMTS (for use in Japan). This setup theoretically makes it possible to use the device in Japan.
Problem #1: Our Blackberries are activated with Rogers Wireless.
I find that large Canadian companies don’t really provide support to technically saavy customers or early adopters. If you buy a Vodafone-branded BB 8707, you’re SOL if you need help from the carrier.
The details for roaming in Japan on the Rogers website are sketchy. We’ve used Blackberries in Russia, Ukraine, Thailand, India, France, Germany and even China. Japan’s networks are quite different since they don’t really support GSM out there.
Rogers reccomends that you rent a phone while in Japan (along with a new phone number, etc.). The proliferation of quad-band phones like the Nokia E61 and Blackberry 8707 makes it possible for these phones to work in Japan without renting a phone but there is the question of a roaming agreement between Rogers and the Japanese carriers (in this case, Softbank and NTT DoCoMo).
After several phone calls to Rogers where I got a myriad of responses from somewhat clueless customer service agents telling me to refer to their website to flat out refusals to answer questions because I’m using an unsupported device (DUH! If I could buy a supported device for this application, I WOULD).
Problem #2: Which carrier do I select in Japan? DoCoMo? Vodafone (who obviously supports the hardware)? SoftBank? KDDI?
Well, after encountering all the rhetoric from the people at the network, there was a thought of switching all of our users off of Rogers on to a network that works, even if we have to go offshore and spend money upfront to secure the accounts. At this point, reliability outweighs the cost.
On the same trip, the Blackberry was tested and worked flawlessly. Australia (where we picked up a spare couple of Vodafone simcards activated and ready to go in case) and Thailand.
Upon arrival to Japan, when loaded with a Rogers simcard, the device stated that the connection was refused. The Vodafone simcard worked without a hitch.
I decided to report this issue to Rogers who’s agent, after some investigation, mentioned the account didn’t have “Blackberry Dot Net” on the account. Strange but apparently this didn’t affect the device in other countries but did in Japan.
Anyhow, after that small addition to the account, it was good to go. Finally, global communications on NTT DoCoMo.
PS – Vodafone staff are very helpful with roaming in Japan. Probably has something to do with Australia being i-mode enabled (therefore having strong ties to Japan) thanks to people like Walter Adamson.
Comments
Comment from raj
Time March 21, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Haven’t tried the 8707 as a phone – we’re strictly about data but overall I’ve never heard of such complaints.
RE: Google Apps – we don’t use this either – we actually dropped Google Apps as an experiment and decided to go back to Exchange Server in our organization. More robust and feature rich.
I would presume you set a rule and forward mail to your Blackberry address.. either way, good luck.
Comment from anthony
Time April 3, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Hey Raj,
I am looking into the Rogers BB workin in Japan, so you used your regular existing 2G SIM in your 8707v and just had to make a call to Rogers CS telling them you are going to Japan?
I have to ask them to add “blackberry dot net” to the account? this is not default on all bb accounts?
so to confirm you had full blackberry services, PIN, email, browsing, obviously voice is good. 
thanks in advance for your help!
Comment from raj
Time April 3, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Hey Anthony,
2G SIM was fine. As for PIN, browsing and voice – never used it. Just used the BB email attached to our corporate Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES).
The BlackBerry dot Net is supposed to be on all accounts but for some reason, it wasn’t on mine so when I called their support, they located the issue and fixed it.
As for calling Rogers and telling them that you’re going to Japan. Forget about it, they’re useless. The only thing you want to make sure is that your voice plan is has international roaming enabled… if you’re going to use voice.
Cheers!
Comment from nagu
Time April 4, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Vodofone in japan is nothing but Softbank. That is the relation vodofone have with japan. This relationship would have helped the vodofone to help you comfortably when it came to the querries on roaming in japan
Comment from SN
Time April 16, 2007 at 5:36 am
Raj, we are with Rogers as well. do you think BB Pearl will work in Japan? or do we need UTMS handsets that supports 2100 MHZ? Thanks for any insight.
Comment from raj
Time April 16, 2007 at 8:36 am
Hey SN,
Sadly the Pearl doesn’t work in Japan. The 8707 is the only BlackBerry that works but the general lack of available product on the market makes for a pricey device. Expect to pay $1000+.
The alternative is to get something like the Nokia E61 (not to be confused with the E62 that Rogers peddles) and use it’s capabilities either with Exchange or BlackBerry connect.
Comment from Andrew
Time November 16, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Raj,
Great site with lots of useful info. I currently have an 8703e BB CDMA with Telus account. I figure I am no-good for Japan. I am willing to buy an 8707 and set-up with Rogers if that will work. Question: is there any change to make the Telus account work, or are the frequencies just wrong? Can you give me step-by-step instructions for setting up with Rogers or Vodafone or someone else?
I am desparate! Thanks,
-Andrew.
Comment from raj
Time November 23, 2007 at 10:25 am
The only UMTS BB that I know is the 8707 series. Telus does NOT support BB in Japan. You’ll have to switch to Rogers or some other GSM provider in order to get going there and even at that, no guarantee since Rogers’ support is so disjointed in this area.
Comment from Keith
Time August 28, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Hi Raj, Do you think the new Blackberry Bold released on the Canadian Rogers network, will work in Japan. Looks like it supports the UMTS 2100/1900/850Mhz.
Keith
Comment from raj
Time August 28, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Dear Keith,
If it’s got UMTS, then it certainly should. The 8707s worked well on BES, didn’t test the voice capabilities. The Bold should be just as good, if not better.
Comment from Phweeb
Time February 27, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Shalom and so forth,
Dude, I bought a BB9500 in bali last year and brought it back to Japan with me and went through hell trying to get it connected. Its a totally handicapped device with no wifi to start with! Big mistake on my part.
Anyway,
Finally a month ago a friend who works at the local DoCoMob shop called me and told me the secret. Its called a ‘FOMA’ sim card. So naturally I went down to see what he was babbling about. And guess what,
he popped it in and as soon as it booted up it registered on the network，full bars， 3G with the funny `I can do anything blackberry mark’, and began to downloading about 8000 old missed emails and various messages and calls. WOW!! SPEED!!
Everything worked amazingly! Browser, IM, etc. and new icons and service books i’d never seen before!! after playing with it for about 10 min to make sure i wasn’t dreaming or being tricked. he took it back removed the sim card and told me the hitch.
The NTT DoCoMo FOMA sim card is for Japanese citizens or permanent residents only. Can only be acquired with a two year contract. the services are basically unlimited everything within Japan for a flat rate of roughly 15,000yen per month more or less. But i really mean unlimited everything. Until you try to roam that is. outside of japan this little monster will cost you the price of the phone for a 10min phone call. and thats just for receiving one. I’m sure you could buy a new car for dialing someone.
But, it’s for real. it works, and there is a way, to make your blackberry work here in Japan like it’s never worked before.
It’s actually really impressive.
So, this is new information for everyone. Please circulate it thoroughly. I don’t know much about computers. just found you using a google search about this and clicked randomly on you.
I’ve done my part.
Love Peace and BBQ Grease Bro.
Phweeb.
Comment from Tim Benjamin
Time March 20, 2007 at 5:24 am
Hi Raj,
I’ve just bought a BB 8707 through Vodafone in the UK.
Besides having very poor reception, even in central London (I’ve had to turn the 3G off as my calls kept dying when low signal strength switched the phone to GPRS), I can’t get email from my Google For Your Domain onto the device (I can’t even access the WAP site promoted by Google to start the process).
That leaves me with two questions you might be able to answer:
1. Is the device crap for making and receiving phone calls – or have I just got a dodgy unit?
2. How might I get the Google Apps for Your Domain emails delivered to it?
Thanks in advance!
Tim