I call BS on Wireless Industry’s claims

To get a sense of what I’m talking about, check out this article at MSNBC - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17068164/page/2/

Now, I’d like explain why I’m calling BS on the wireless phone companies.  First, they claim that unlocking phones will “undermine its security, said another Verizon Wireless spokesman, John Johnson. His company limits Bluetooth applications in part to prevent illegal access to users’ personal information, he said, a problem in some European markets”. Bull.  There are thousands and thousands of unlocked phones on GSM carriers’ networks right now, at this very minute.  Most of Europe has unlocked phones.  All this means is that you can put your Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) from multiple carriers in your phone (just not all at the same time).  So if I have an unlocked phone, I can put a T-Mobile SIM in it one day, and an AT&T SIM in the next.Second, the reason they give for locking the phone is “to protect their investment”. In the US, carriers generally subsidize your cell phone purchase – most people never pay full price for your phone.  So in consideration for this subsidy, they lock you to their network.  OK, sounds reasonable.  EXCEPT for the fact that they also lock you into a contract for which you need to pay an Early Termination Fee (ETF) in order to get out of the contract early.  Why?  Why can the wireless carriers lock you to their network AND lock you into a contact?  Why? Because they can.  Because we, as consumers, let them.  So to wrap up this rant and bring it full circle, I would like to call on all wireless consumers to support any actions by any groups that release us from the shackles of the wireless carriers and give us our freedom to TRULY CHOOSE.  And being free to change carriers while abandoning our (sometimes costly) investment to do so is not freedom!  LET US FREE!