Not at all. Google it if you have any doubts. The berry is running on its own phone OS, and like the iPhone has apps on there that require internet connectivity. What defines the blackberry devices is their always connected nature, so to say; how do they acheive that: using GPRS/EDGE.
When the berry needs data access, it reaches out and utilizes whats available (if any). There is no software validation/verification. Similar with the internet here in the UAE; whether on broadband or dial-up, Etisalat don't check your OS before allowing you to connect.
Remember, the EDGE protocol over GPRS is a 2.75G network and not to be confused with 3G. EDGE speeds here in the UAE are quite accptable, just a shame bout the darn costs.