Considering the 521 for Eastlink AWS 1700 network in Canada

[DZ302]

Hello, I'm considering buying the Lumia 521 to use on Eastlink's network in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Eastlink doesn't currently offer any Windows Phones, but they use an AWS 1700 network which is the same as T-Mobile. There's nowhere to buy it here in Canada, so I was either going to buy a T-Mobile one, and use a service that lets you ship to an American address and they will in turn ship it to your Canadian address, or simply buy an unlocked one on Ebay.

I'm just wondering how straight forward this is going to be, if I buy a T-mobile locked phone, can I simply use a service like cellunlocker.net without any sim card? Will there be any problems hooking it up on the Eastlink network? Also how will updates work since Eastlink doesn't carry this phone, is there some kind of software I can use to update it myself (I've used Seven-Eighter in the past to force WP7.8 on my Samsung Focus).

Cheers

 

[pankaj981]

Lumia 521 is manufactured exclusively for T-Mobile US so there are no global firmware variants as you're looking for. You should be able to use cellunlocker to permanently SIM unlock your phone and use it. You will get software updates for the phone when others on T-Mobile Lumia 521 get it.

 

[DZ302]

Thanks for the info, that doesn't sound too bad. Would there be any problems with me being in Canada, or should it work no different from say a 520 I bought here?

 

[pankaj981]

Yep it should work similarly to a 520, some apps like wifi calling would be useless though (T-Mobile only)

 

[Corepc]

Unless the 520 support the 1700mhz AWS Band, which most do not. Then will not work from what I am reading on Eastlink Bring your own device site.

Eastlink > Wireless > Why Eastlink > Switch to Eastlink

Some have had trouble getting unlock codes the 521.

 

[pankaj981]

^^ just checked w/ cellunlocker and they do provide unlock codes for the 521, and the 520 doesn't support AWS but the 521 does, so as long as he is able to get the phone SIM unlocked he should be fine.

 

[Plazma1]

I bought a 521 in July at WalMart. I didn't activate it on T-Mobile but called them for an unlock code, which they gave me within a few days. I'm now running it on wind and getting 4g.

 

[Lesgrant]

I waited three weeks for the unlock code for the 521 from Cellunlocker. When I eventually got it the code did not work. I sent them the video as I wanted to unlock it to use on Wind Mobile. They told me it wasn't compatible with Wind Mobile and I should try another sim card in it from another provider. I did this and it still didn't work so I sent them another video and I am waiting to see if they will refund my money.

 

[Lesgrant]

So it definitely is compatible with Wind Mobile. I just posted my experience trying to get an unlock code for the 521.

 

[pankaj981]

^^ when the phone asks for pin, you enter the code from cellunlocker, does it say pin accepted?

 

[Lesgrant]

Does anyone have any idea what I should do if they wont refund my money? They charged me $40 to unlock it and I dont want to go and pay someone else to do it if they are going to come back with the same code.

Just not sure what to do now.

 

[Lesgrant]

When I enter the pin it gives me the "incorrect pin" message and changes the ten attempts to nine, then when I enter it again it says "sim error" but remains at nine attempts. I entered it a few times and it stayed at nine and kept saying "sim error". I switched off the phone and then switched it on. The attempts were back at ten and I entered the pin again. Got the message "incorrect pin" then after that it kept saying "sim error".

 

[Lesgrant]

I read on another forum that the same thing happened on his Lumia 521 and he got another code and it worked.

 

[pankaj981]

Check with them again, this time verify your IMEI with them again just to be sure. I have probably unlocked 5-8 phones from them and never had any issues with them

 

[Lesgrant]

The IMEI number is correct and they are not responding to my emails now after I sent two videos showing that the code was wrong.

 

[pankaj981]

I believe they have a chat service, try to contact them on it