Yomiuri: Govt wants cell phones 'unlocked'
The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has decided to ask mobile phone companies to "unlock" their handsets' subscriber identity modules (SIM), a move that would allow users greater freedom in choosing handsets and service providers, a ministry source said. The ministry will apply its new policy to next-generation cell phones to be put on the market from late 2010. It also will study the possibility of enacting a law to make the practice mandatory. When mobile phones are locked to a specific carrier, they will only accept SIM cards from the same carrier. Under the new policy, however, users are expected to be able to choose their own combination of mobile phone and carrier. In standard cell phones, customers insert SIM cards containing such information as phone numbers and the terms of their contracts. Most overseas users can change phones by simply removing a SIM card from one mobile phone and inserting it into another. In Japan, however, mobile phones are manufactured for specific carriers. When customers buy cell phones designed for different carriers, therefore, they also must change their telecommunication contracts, because their phones are SIM-locked to the networks of specific carriers. Their SIM cards cannot be used in phones made for different carriers' networks. The ministry believes that if the SIM locks are removed, users will have a greater range of choices and competition among carriers will intensify, which could lead to lower charges and better service...more...