When you think of buying an unlocked smartphone in the US, you are probably thinking about buying the handset outright from a retailer such as Amazon or Best Buy. Things are slightly different here in the UK, with BT/EE, Tesco Mobile, and Vodafone among the few providers that sell mobile phones that can't be used on other networks unless they are “unlocked” by a code that is provided by the original network. This practice could soon be outlawed, though, because the UK's telecoms watchdog, Ofcom, is proposing to ban locked smartphone so that it's easier for consumers to switch between networks.
While some operators provide the unlock code free of charge upon request, others such as Tesco Mobile demand a £10 fee to unlock pay-as-you-go handsets that are less than a year old. Ofcom said that the issue was found to make it difficult for some people to switch providers,
“”By freeing mobile users from locked handsets, our plans would save people time, effort and money – and help them unlock a better deal,” Ofcom consumer group director Lindsey Fussell said.”
Besides wanting to switch networks, you might want an unlocked smartphone if you are traveling overseas and want to use a local SIM instead of paying exorbitant roaming charges. For the moment, Ofcom is running a consultation on the proposal, but with many other operators offering unlocked, SIM-free smartphones as standard, it would seem that the writing is on the wall for selling network-locked mobiles in the UK.
Source: BBC
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