> how completely locked down the wireless carriers had things back then. That was (and probably still is to some degree?) the case in the US. Here in this coun

> how completely locked down the wireless carriers had things back then. That was (and probably still is to some degree?) the case in the US. Here in this country SIM-locked phones have been forbidden for more than 20 years. Phone subscriptions have limited competition because the were only 4, later 3 operators. And the most aggressive price challenging service providers get acquired by the bigger ones. But phones have fully free competition, you buy them from a domestic or international store, from your own operator, or from a competitor, just as you prefer.