When it comes to the BlackBerry Bold 9900, one of the most attention-getting features is Near Field Communication. But we’ve just gotten word from a trusted tipster that AT&T users won’t be getting any joy from this.

According to our source — an insider in a position to know — the carrier will be crippling NFC via a software block. This is both good news and bad news. The latter is obvious, but look on the bright side: At least the hardware’s still there, so it’s not some sort of irreversible versioning at the manufacturer level. And you know what that means? AT&T could lift the block later (like it did for BlackBerry Bridge).

Or, if you’re a BB hacker with some gumption, you could also get around this obstacle two ways: Unlock the feature via a software update, or load another version of the OS that’s compatible with another carrier.

As for AT&T, we hit them up about this tidbit and they wouldn’t confirm nor deny this, basically saying, “No comment.”

So 9900 fans, what do you think? Would the lack of NFC be a dealbreaker for you? Or will you be taking matters into your own hands?

UPDATE: Vodafone in the U.K. is already blocking the NFC of the BlackBerry Bold 9900.

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Tags AT&T, BlackBerry, Blackberry Bold, BlackBerry Bold 9900, bold 9900, Featured, Near Field Communication, NFC, Research In Motion, RIM