Word from CBC News is that NDP, or New Democratic Party, has introduced Bill C-560 that would essentially make it law that cell phone companies have to notify customers when signing up for service if their chosen device is locked to the network or not. If the custom was on a contract, when the contract expires the cell company would be forced to remove the network lock, and if the user never gets on a contract and just purchases the device outright, within 6 months the carrier would have to unlock the device.
The MP (member of parliament) who introduced the bill stated:
“Mobile phone customers should have the freedom to choose whether they want to be locked into a company’s cell network or not…
Right now, most consumers don’t even know they [can] switch to another network without throwing out their phone and buying a new one, or trying to unlock their handset at some expensive aftermarket shop. Many resort to trying to download complicated instructions off the internet, but these can result in dead phones if used improperly.”
Of course if these guys are using directions found on PPCGeeks, the chances of bricking their device shrink to nil provided they’re in the right forum.
How would you feel about a bill like that in the U.S.? Is it your right to do with your device what you want, when you want, how you want? Or is it up to the carriers? T-Mobile iPhone users were extremely exasperated with Apple for introducing an update to the iPhone OS, 3.1.3 that amongst very small bug fixes, updated the baseband so it could not be unlocked! This was a few months back.
Personally I think we are all headed towards the day where you pick the device then the carrier, since everyone will be LTE in the end, it will be a matter of the best price.