CELL PHONES
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
SMARTPHONES
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
CAMERAS
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
REVIEWS
» Cell phones
» Cameras
» Camcorders
» Archive » Product Guide
» Compare » Expert guides
» RSS & Alerts » Ask The Editors
Home / Cell phones
US GSM carriers sued for handset lockingBy Larry Garfield, Wednesday 16 June 2004
A US consumer advocacy group has filed suit against several GSM carriers for what it claims are anti-competitive practice.

American consumer-advocacy group the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) has filed suit against the three largest GSM carriers in the United States over the practice of locking handsets, which it claims is anti-competitive.

In the US, most mobile phones are sold by wireless carriers as part of a service agreement at a significant discount. CDMA phones by nature must be activated directly to the network, but GSM phones use a SIM card that is tied to the network and can be inserted into any GSM phone to provide service. Most GSM carriers in the US, therefore, "lock" the handset via software before it is sold so that it won't work with SIM cards from other carriers. While some carriers will unlock the phone upon request after some period of time, they do not publicize that fact and the phones still may not function properly on other networks due to customized settings.

The FTCR lawsuit against Cingular, T-Mobile, and AT&T Wireless alleges that this practice is unacceptably anti-competitive. Under new FCC regulations subscribers may change wireless carriers without losing their phone number, but, FTCR claims, early termination fees and the cost and hassle of a new phone still deter many users and frustrate free market competition. Thus subscribers either end up staying with a carrier whose service they find unacceptable or must dispose of their current phone, clogging up landfills.

Mobile phone carriers are already greatly-disliked by US customers. The FTCR lawsuit has been brought in the state of California, which has strong consumer-protection laws, and is the second suit brought by FTCR against a phone carrier for deceptive or anti-competitive behavior. The group previously sued Nextel over the fee it charged subscribers to receive an itemized bill, and FTCR says it intends to continue to persue other mobile phone abuses by companies.
Best Cell phones
Name Score Price Carrier
C
Nokia N95 8GB NAM 83% $450Unlocked
Apple iPhone 3GS 83% $200AT&T
Nokia N86 82% $500Unlocked
Nokia N85 81% $350Unlocked
RIM BlackBerry Storm 9530 78% $50Verizon Wireless
Apple iPhone 3G 77% $100AT&T
HTC Fuze 77% $300AT&T
RIM BlackBerry Tour 77% $200Verizon Wireless
HTC Touch Pro2 77% $350T-Mobile
Sprint Tour 77% $200Sprint
Click here to see full and advanced chart »
 
 
HOTTEST
Smartphones
 
Cell Phones
 
Upcoming Smartphones
TOP STORIES
Best 8-megapixel camera phones
 
10 Hottest Verizon Wireless Phones
 
5 Best All-Touch Smartphones
Hottest Nokia Phones
 
5 Best Smartphones for Calling
 
Android Smartphone Comparison
10 Hottest Touchscreen Phones
 
Hottest Smartphones Set for November Release
 
Upcoming T-Mobile Phones
NEW CELL PHONE RELEASES
Samsung Behold II
RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700
Nokia N900
Nokia N97 mini
Motorola Droid
HTC Droid Eris
LG Chocolate Touch
Samsung Moment
RIM BlackBerry Storm 2
CELL PHONE RESOURCE CENTER
Expert Guides
 
Advanced Search
 
Side-by-Side
IN-DEPTH REVIEWS
Cell Phones & Smartphones
 
Digital Cameras
 
Camcorders
NOW IN PHONES
Best 8-megapixel camera phones
 
Gameloft Cuts Back Android Investment
 
Smartphone Leaks of the Week
 
10 Hottest Verizon Wireless Phones
 
Motorola Droid Is No Challenge Says Palm
Nokia Nseries Roadmap Explained
gPhone Is Likely Not Real
BlackBerry 9900 QWERTY Slider Coming in 2010?
Next 25 stories
MUST READ
CELL PHONES
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
SMARTPHONES
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
LAPTOPS
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
CAMERAS
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
INTERNET TABLETS
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
GPS NAVIGATORS
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
HDTVs
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
CAMCORDERS
» Coming soon
» Top 15
» Best-rated
About us | Site map | How to advertise | Feedback | RSS Feeds | | Archive
Copyright 1999-2009 © infoSync World