As U.S. makes smartphone unlocking illegal, Canada ponders mandating carriers unlock smartphones

[dudeone]

AS U.S. MAKES SMARTPHONE UNLOCKING ILLEGAL, CANADA PONDERS MANDATING CARRIERS UNLOCK SMARTPHONES

http://bgr.com/2013/01/29/canada-smartphone-unlocking-law-310794/

January 29, 2013 at 2:28 PM by Brad Reed

While we don’t expect police will start arresting 9-year-old girls for unlocking their Winnie the Pooh smartphones anytime soon, we can’t say that the newly enacted American law that outlaws unlocking your smartphone sets a good precedent. Contrast this with what our neighbors to the north are pondering: According to CBCNews, Canada’s top telecom regulator wants to not only limit the early termination fees that wireless carriers can charge but also mandate that carriers unlock their smartphones under “reasonable terms.” Even more amazingly,CBC says that the country’s wireless carriers have actually praised the proposed new rules, as a Telus spokesman said they were “a good start to work from.” A public hearing on the proposed rules is scheduled to occur next month.

[Aladeen]

Makes me proud to be Canadian, imagine being able to do what you want with something that is yours! What a concept.

[Hobble]

What does unlocking a smartphone do?

[Aladeen]

What does unlocking a smartphone do?

[Hobble]

So say Telus isn't offering the iPhone 6, but Rogers is. I could buy the phone from Rogers and use a Telus plan?!?

[Charlie.the.Unicorn]

I would rather pay 50 bucks a month with unlimited nationwide everything and have a locked phone, which I would just order through Canada, then whatever crap 50 bucks gets you a month in Canada.

[Common sense]

For those of us that go international and buy SIM cards once we're on the ground, this is a good plan.

Of course, for those of us that go international, we tend to buy our phones elsewhere than Canada.

[Samuel Påhlsson]

Smartphones, may as well just burn your money.

[Pouria]

I would rather pay 50 bucks a month with unlimited nationwide everything and have a locked phone, which I would just order through Canada, then whatever crap 50 bucks gets you a month in Canada.

[Aladeen]

I would rather pay 50 bucks a month with unlimited nationwide everything and have a locked phone, which I would just order through Canada, then whatever crap 50 bucks gets you a month in Canada.

[schlaBAM]

So say Telus isn't offering the iPhone 6, but Rogers is. I could buy the phone from Rogers and use a Telus plan?!?

[Lancaster]

Most contracts already requires you to pay extra should you terminate it too early.

Well, at least this will make smaller companies who may not lock phones more attractive, thus creating more competition.

[Aladeen]

Most contracts already requires you to pay extra should you terminate it too early.

Well, at least this will make smaller companies who may not lock phones more attractive, thus creating more competition.

[Pears]

'Murica

[The Colt 45s]

There is a strong push in the US to protect proprietary gear on proprietary networks.

[hudson bay rules]

There is a strong push in the US to protect proprietary gear on proprietary networks.

[The Colt 45s]

but the phones will work on any network until the phone company's add software to make them work only on their own network. Unlocking them is actually fixing the crap that was installed by/for the phone companies.

[hudson bay rules]

Not true. Compare the difference between Sprint/Verizon and ATT. While Sprint/Verizon has started to roll out LTE, their most of their phones use CDMA whereas ATT uses LTE/GSM.

[hudson bay rules]

[The Colt 45s]

so unlocking a phone then achieves nothing?