I can’t quite figure out why the BlackBerry 71xx series devices don’t support DUN, other than some silly corporate politics. The latest version the 7130e from Verizon supports their Broadband Access (EVDO) network and in the ad I just saw in the WSJ, says specifically that you it can provide tethered modem access for your laptop.
What’s the real issue here? Greed, right? Clearly Verizon and other carriers who sell these data-centric devices want to really send you a supplemental data PC card rather than let a single device manage your total access. Now you have 2 devices on the network rather than just one.
I use the Blackberry 7100t from T-Mobile and have searched around for a hack to use it as a bluetooth modem but this does not seem to exist. Instead, I use the SIM card from my data card in a bluetooth capable phone so I can have DUN access while on the go. The PC Card does not easily support Mac so I don’t feel so bad moving things around like this… The interesting thing is it’s all the same, but the carriers clearly would see it differently… to them there are specific uses for each and only those specific activities (even though the same type of info passes through) are the only ones you are supposed to have.
Technorati Tags: Apple, Bluetooth, Bluetooth DUN, Commute, Marketing, Michelob, Mobile, N-Series, Nokia, T-Mobile, Verizon
By not officially supporting DUN I think Verizon is dodging a support headache. I haven’t found a phone and computing device yet where DUN was what I would call reliable or easy to get working in the first place. And in the case of EVDO devices, the DUN won’t support the full speed of EVDO. Bluetooth tops out at 721Kbps and EVDO (in the field in some places) tops out at around 1Mbps.
Given the above I think the real question is, why didn’t Blackberry build EDR into their EVDO capable device??
The 7130 supports DUN, all you need to do is pay Verizon an additional $15.00 for that functionallity.
It’s only 9 months later so I guess that’s no so bad for Verizon.