In an ideal world cell phones would come unlocked and SIM cards would be easily inter-changeable between phones and networks. In the meantime, don't let cell phone companies fool you. Little did we know that the Library of Congress issued a 'new rule in 2006 making it legal to unlock cell phones for the purpose of lawfully connecting to a wireless telephone communication network.' 
Before this rule, unlocking your SIM card was considered modifying your phone's internal software- making the phone illegal to use or sell according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Now when you break your SIM lock it will not be considered a DMCA violation. Do you think this will solve the whole Cingular/iPhone issue?
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Levi's
In my country (costa rica) we just have one big company (el i.c.e) so we can change our sim cards between phones
1In my country, Italy, we can easily swap cards between phones, even if we have 3 companies.. but that's also why mobile phones cost so much (up to 800 euros too) while a phone plan costs 15 euros..
2thats interesting. i got an unlocked phone from an ebay auction about 3 years ago. i didnt realize it was illegal. it was sent over from HK.
3It being illegal actually stopped anyone before????
4I don't believe this will help with the Cingular iPhone issue. Since Cingular/Apple have made drastic changes to how you are able to access your voicemail with the iPhone it wouldn't translate to another network (you can choose from a visual list of your vm's with who they are from and you can choose to listen to them in the order you wish).
I once tried to take my Cingular phone to my new T-Mobile network. While it was legal to do so, they wouldn't help me "unlock it". I had to research how to do it on the internet and some features of T-mobile's network wouldn't work on my Cingular branded Sony phone. I plan to go back to Cingular when the iPhone is released.
5I hadn't realised it was illegal, I'm going to have to check up on these laws in the UK. I unlocked my phone myself one looong night at home when I had nothing to do, I tell ya never again! It's irritating over here most sim cards are interchangeable between networks others aren't, I had to be on one that isn't!
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