@ dredlok706
You can check the BT PAN thread, this is the first I have ever heard of following the instructions correctly blocking boot.
I suspect you ended up doing something else that we will never know of. I highly recommend backupmenu I made a thread a few years ago how to quickly reflash, load CSSU, and get to where you can use your backupmenu backup files. https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=95865
There is the expedient of switching the SIM you mention, but for the sake of the thread I will again say that for a mobile device with a limited battery the bluetooth PAN tethering is by far the best way to share a cellular/wireless internet connection.

@sicelo
Bluetooth PAN is often a premium paid service on unrooted stock Android and probably Apple devices though it becomes a network sharing option(uses NAT) if you are running an OS like LineageOS(FOSS Android fork). If you have a alternate firmware device with BT PAN service available then any network connection you have will be shared if you have PAN enabled no extra charge for tethering.