I'm not really sure of the functional difference this provides over what we already have? Here in NZ, you can already buy a phone and then put whatever SIM car

I'm not really sure of the functional difference this provides over what we already have? Here in NZ, you can already buy a phone and then put whatever SIM card you want in it. You can quickly swap between carriers in less then 30 seconds. The carriers give SIM Cards away like candy, usually with free credit on them so it's not like cost is a factor. That's not to say folks always do this. For the most part, I think people just sign up with a carrier anyway because they want one of the $1000 smart phones or an iPhone and can't afford (or don't want) to pay the up front cost for one. Basically, those that want to be on a Prepay plan with complete carrier freedom, already have that option. Those that are willing to be locked into a contract for a few years in exchange for a free/low cost smart phone can already do that too.