Source: PC Inpact
In the United States, unlike Europe, an operator may well sign an exclusive long-term with a consumer and refuse to sell the basic phone desimlocked.Of course, leaving the iPhone locked into AT & T reopens this problem, the practice seemed quite to have irritated some people and they have contacted their state representative (equivalent of our deputies) to propose a law called the "Wireless Consumer Protection and Community Broadband Empowerment Act of 2008". One of the measures recommended, which seems tailor-made for (potential) iPhone customers, would require operators to sell only the phone, without subsidies or bound to a subscription.
As in all democratic countries of the world this bill is going to have to confront the lobbyists who will try to influence it, depending on their interests, to be adopted or placed by the wayside.
