I’ve heard mighty lots about Vodafone – often favorable – hence deciding to sign up with them.
After lots of research, KISS mobile is the only reliable telco carrier that offers a prepaid, no contract Blackberry Internet Service (BIS) enabled SIM card 
They run on Vodafone cell towers and network too.
As most of you would already know, I have been in the city for 2 weeks upon arriving in Melbourne. That was where I had full bars of signal, running on 3G. Excellent reception!
I was so pleased with everything, as none of my emails, instant messaging nor social networking had been affected when I touched down in Australia.
Upon signing up, my SIM card came in the mail the very next day
Oh and just FYI, their customer service is brilliant.
Should you have any problems at all, all you gotta do is to write the enquiry on their website. When I wrote it, it’s actually amazing how the KISS care staff replies me so quickly and personally too.
So far, I’ve never had any issues with their customer interaction; as their friendly staff – namely Peter Griffin – has been extremely informative and helpful! 🙂
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I also love the way they give me my itemized billing on my call/SMS/data charges so precisely 🙂
So you can actually find out where all your money goes to!
Even better, the method of recharging credit to your phone is so convenient.
I do it via credit card, but there are other options such as paypal, Bpay or even pay it in person at any Post Office.
My advice to any tourist/student/immigrant on Blackberry who plan to reside in Australia for a short period of time (less than a year), is to sign up with KISS mobile.
BUT
Yes, there is a big, big BUT in question.
ZOMG ZOMG what on earth is this!
I didn’t sign up with KISS mobile to have zero signal at my university campus and residence 🙁
If you reside ANYWHERE AWAY FROM THE CITY, please do not sign up with Vodafone, KISS mobile, Crazy Johns or any other carrier equivalent, running on Vodafone network.
I can definitely handle low reception, but NO RECEPTION is just too much!
Just need to yell this out loud and clear
DEAR VODAFONE,
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
IMPROVE YOUR
CELLULAR TRANSMISSION
AND COVERAGE AREAS!
It’s bad enough that my friends and I do not have a single trace of reception at all in most parts of Gippsland, but I can’t believe I have almost non-existent signals in Vermont, Blackburn, Berwick and its counterparts.
I was on the phone with my friends discussing our weekend plans and whaddya know? Call dropped.
I even made my best friend cry, because she thought I wasn’t replying her on Whatsapp anymore.
What a killjoy! Not cool guys, not cool.
Please, your establishment has impeccable customer service, benefits, call plans and everything else.
The only thing that will steer your customers away are your POOR TRANSMISSION 🙁
Comparatively, my friends on OPTUS or TELSTRA has full hi-speed 3G signals; while I am only down to nothing, or if I’m lucky, GSM and GPRS here in Churchill and edge (not EDGE, mind you) in Morwell and Traralgon.
Does this mean that customers will have to keep travelling to the city
just to get the mobile signals we deserve? 🙁
It sucks that I have to walk out of my residence and stand in a particular spot e.g under a specific tree, stick my hand out of the window in the carpark, walk around like a quantity surveyor to locate spots that Vodafone ACTUALLY has enough transmission to receive an SMS and so on.
Come on, it’s ridiculous doing this in the year 2011. Say, 1991 and I will understand the constrains of technology.
DO SOMETHING VODAFONE, PLEASE!
I IMPLORE YOU TO 
Hi! Welcome to TheJessicat.com - an urban lifestyle blog established since 2005, written from the perspective of a Malaysian blogger. Discover the latest and all that the city has to offer! Do bear with her occasional rants & musings though. Happy reading! ❤
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gosh! This is definitely not cool at all. Not to get reception in Melbourne, even though some distance fr the city. If Ulu Grik in the middle of no where in Malaysia can get reception, itz a shame that such service is not available there.Tsk indeed.
Malaysia BOLEH!
wooooohoooo!
Hey! I found your blog because I’m trying to find out if I can bring my BB with me when I move to Melbourne. Thanks so much for this post! Are you still using Kiss? Or would you recommend any other service provider for BB users? (Instant messaging and network reception are key considerations!) Thanks so much!
By the way, great blog!! It’s so fun to read! 🙂
Awesome! Glad you found it a fun read 🙂 Come back often & stay updated, aight?
xoxo 😀
I will recommend Telstra or Optus. Should you have budget considerations, then go for Optus. If it doesn’t fuss you as much, then go for Telstra for more superior transmission.
the only reason why im still using KISS/Vodafone is because I wont be here for long. Just a few months, and no other telco companies have pre-paid BB BIS.
Thanks so much for the response! 🙂 Reading your blog is making me sooooo excited to head off to Melbourne! I’ll add your blog to my list of “must follow blogs” 🙂 xoxo 🙂
excellent 🙂 thank you! *blush
Here’s a direct link for ALL my blogposts about melbourne :
https://thejessicat.com/category/australian-diaries/
Also.. for what, may i ask, are you coming to melbourne for? 🙂
Cool! I’m going to study there for 2 years! How was your experience??
You can use crazyjohns prepaid blackberry. They available since 2010. I used to be using kissmobile but they too expensive. Crazyjohns prepaid BIS is much cheaper. But they using vodafone network and you cant use youtube.