freetheiphone.org

[Ian Stirling]

Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
> Adam Krikstone writes:
> 
>>I'm with the idiots for a wireless carterfone decision.  I don't think 
>>we were better off with with renting landline phones from AT&T.  There's 
>>nothing stopping a GSM provider from blocking all unbranded IMEI's,  
>>including your neo.
> 
> 
> I'll agree that not permitting locked phones would be a good thing --
> but I was under the impression it wasn't technically possible to lock
> out a phone.  Unless they used a soldered SIM chip or something.

'3' in the UK have supplied some handsets with glued-in SIMs.

(to be fair, these are 3G handsets and are sold as pay-as-you-go 
handsets at a high loss.)

The IMEI is a unique phone ID. (and indeed, changing it without the 
makers authorisation or for the purposes of crime is a crime in the UK)

There is nothing stopping network operators simply refusing to allow 
phones with unknown IMEIs onto the network.