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New Law Coming Stopping Phones Being Locked To Provider


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Posted by fluke9
Anyone heard of this law regarding not allowing new phones to be network locked ???

Read it around some different forums ??

This for instance....
http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=371

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[ This Message was edited by: fluke9 on 2008-09-30 16:32 ]


Posted by goldenface
I heard something about this last year, something to do with the competition laws.

Posted by Dr_Jones
bad news for iphone eh??

Posted by titus1
good news for us

Posted by gola

On 2008-10-09 17:13:24, titus1 wrote:
good news for us
Ditto

Posted by AbuBasim
We have this law here in Oman and most other countries here in the Persian Gulf have the same AFAIK. The drawback is that all phones are unlocked and therefor also not subsidized by the operators.

Posted by soulsaber
mm i would rather have locked phones that are subsidized than unlocked phones at full price

Posted by Jools

On 2008-10-10 06:39:53, soulsaber wrote:
mm i would rather have locked phones that are subsidized than unlocked phones at full price


But how many different GSM network operators do you have to choose between in your country? And how often do you travel abroad where you might want to use an alternative SIM?

It's a hugely different situation here in Europe, where people have half a dozen or more providers to choose between and travel from country to country all the time.

Posted by soulsaber
mm true...its a monopoly here, there is only one GSM carrier lol

Posted by AbuBasim

On 2008-10-10 06:39:53, soulsaber wrote:
mm i would rather have locked phones that are subsidized than unlocked phones at full price

I doubt that the operators actually absorb the cost of the phones. You end up paying the same amount - if not more - for the phone if you complete the contract. See it as a way of paying for it in installments.

From AllAboutSymbian's article Unlocking the Mobile Phone: Why we need to go SIM-Free:

Myth 3: "Phones from network operators are cheap or free!"

And the truth is: They're not cheap or free at all!

Phones from network operators usually end up costing you more than if you bought them separately. You pay for these "cheap" or "free" phones in installments, as part of the monthly fee for using a phone service goes on paying for the "cheap" or "free" handsets. To top it all, the phone you get is locked to one network and sometimes crippled in some way, so it's not even as functional as a SIM-free model.

There are already many different forms of consumer credit for people who want to buy something in installments, such as credit cards, bank loans and store credit. These services are regulated by the government and in direct competition with each other, so they usually offer better and clearer terms than phone network operators. You'll see exactly what you're paying for, you'll be able to buy absolutely any compatible phone model from any retailer whether the operator approves or not, it won't have its functions restricted by the operator, and you'll probably end up paying less for it overall.


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[ This Message was edited by: AbuBasim on 2008-10-11 05:52 ]

Posted by totalgsm
Bad news for our business if it happens lol
But Unlocked phones , I guess will cost more than locked ones.
You end up paying so less for a phone with contract.


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