Rural Cellular Association to the FCC: Follow NTT DoCoMo and unlock US handsets

Could you imagine if phones were unlocked in the U.S.? AT&T would be flooded with idiots trying to activate Sprint phones..

As a consumer I like the idea of unlocking all devices, placing the onus on individual carriers to rely on their services (rather than devices) to gain subscribers. The only problem is, I wonder if this might unwittingly create a larger problem of making it too difficult for smaller carriers to compete with larger ones, which might decrease competition, thereby, ultimately raising fees. I don’t know how many remember what AT&T was pre-iPhone. They were shit. One exclusive device can make a big difference. The iPhone made AT&T huge, and the Evo seems to have saved Sprint’s corporate neck.

This is very good move from NTT DoCoMo and RCA. At-last customers can expect their handsets to be free of lock-free. One can now expect that virtual slavery is coming to an end. This is nothing but unethical way of retaining the customers loyalty with one particular service provider or handset manufacturer.

But, in India, all the wireless service providers are providing handset-free service from the day-1. This enables the users to switch to any service providers or change handsets based on their interest and does not have to depend on any particular service provider or handset manufacturer.

Strikes me as an irrelevant argument. The US has 4 carriers operating a hodge-podge of at least a half dozen network types that extend from 2-4G. Successfully offering full user choice devices would require antenna systems supporting 1xRTT/EVDO/EDGE/HSPA/HSPA+/AWS/LTE/WiMAX All in one. Fairly certain that doesn’t exist in any kinnd of cost effective way and won’t anytime soon. Why not just forcve manufacturers/carriers to provide unlocking upon request and stop manufacturers from making unlocking void your warranty?

i know what they mean by it, i was simply stating that it’s not a relevant argument because unlocking doesn’t change the fact that devices are made with one type of antenna normally, and to use the device you want you have to pick the carrier that supports it fully either way.
the discussion is very different up here in canada, where every relevant carrier supports HSPA/HSPA+ and will be migrating to LTE in the coming years. unlocked 3G devices can truly be used with whatever provider you wish, and sim-locking does make that more challenging to less savvy consumers.

most people buy at&t phones and unlock them to use on tmobile

Maybe if US carriers weren’t so backwards, splintered and asinine in using every conceivable variation of 3G radio frequency and type, GSM1700/2100(Tmobile), GSM850&1900(AT&T), CDMA(850?)Verizon, CDMA(850,800?)Sprint. Then yes this would be somewhat beneficial.
However, due to the fact that most US carriers are cash-hording dinosaurs this will never happen. And even when LTE comes around I see much the same situation happening all over again :@.
I’m seething at the thought, but it’s probably best for consumers in the long run to unlock phones, not like it matters much to me. Unlocked, no contract, no worries.