A Wi-Fi® enabled BlackBerry smartphone can access voice and data services using multiple radio technologies.
If the wireless service provider makes Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) or generic access network (GAN) technology available for subscription, the Wi-Fi enabled BlackBerry smartphone accesses voice and data services over a mobile network and a Wi-Fi connection. UMA/GAN allows concurrent connections to data services over a Wi-Fi connection and voice services over the mobile network.
A Wi-Fi enabled BlackBerry smartphone can establish a Wi-Fi connection from an organization's Wi-Fi network, a personal Wi-Fi network with a virtual private network (VPN) connection, or a hotspot with a VPN connection direct to the BlackBerry Router.
In addition, using a Wi-Fi network to connect directly to the BlackBerry Router, with or without a VPN session, allows the BlackBerry smartphone to pass traffic to and from a BlackBerry® Enterprise Server. A BlackBerry data plan may be required to connect to the BlackBerry Router on a BlackBerry Enterprise Server to access BlackBerry data services.
To connect to the BlackBerry Data Services over Wi-Fi for PIN messaging and BlackBerry Internet Service connectivity, the BlackBerry smartphone requires a BlackBerry data plan from the wireless service provider, and if applicable, the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card to be inserted in the BlackBerry smartphone at all times.
Note: Check with your wireless service provider for supported services and features.
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Out of the box, if supported by the wireless service provider as noted above, the following services will be available for Wi-Fi enabled BlackBerry smartphones. These phones will not have a wireless service provider data plan activated with them, leaving the following Wi-Fi services available after they are sold:
Direct Wi-Fi Browsing* Direct Wi-Fi connectivity to BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server Data connectivity)** * Direct Wi-Fi Browsing will allow the user to use the BlackBerry Wi-Fi browser to browse to web sites.
** Direct Wi-Fi connectivity to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server will allow the user to activate via OTA (Over The Air) Enterprise Activation over Wi-Fi (known as WLAN Activation), as well as perform a cradled activation and then communicate with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server over Wi-Fi.
The chart below outlines the services that are available to the Wi-Fi enabled BlackBerry smartphone user with a qualifying data plan: