Sim Lock

SIM lock is a feature that is particularly designed bythe user can only use the SIM cards for the particular
mobile phone manufacturers and it is an in-built systemservice provider. This is particularly useful for pay as
embedded into GSM phones. The main motto of theyou go mobile phones.
SIM lock feature is to accessibility of networkThe SIM card made as country specific is workable
providers to limit the use of their subscribers' phoneswithin a specific country or group of countries in
up to specific region (mainly countries) and to certainparticular.
network providers.Laws on SIM locking
At present, the SIM lock is dependent on three modesThe laws governing SIM locking system is entirely
of operation:dependable on different companies. In case of
· The type of SIM: It implies that only a certainparticular providers like AT&T Wireless, it never allows
type of SIM can be used in a particular mobileunlocking to its customers, whereas the new AT&T
· Network service provider: It implies that theallows unlocking to its customer after 3months
connectivity will be restricted depending upon thesuccessful standing on their part.
network service provider, for example, T-Mobile,There are various rules in different countries that are
AT&Ttruly dissimilar than others. For example, in Belgium, the
· Country specific: It implies that the phone will beact governing the communication does not support
workable in a particular country, but not in the otherany locking feature in mobile phones. Therefore all of
Types of SIM lockingthe mobile phones sold in Belgium need to be unlocked.
Essentially there are three types of SIM lockingThe laws are quite different in Netherlands and Spain
features available in the market. The hardest and mostwhere the service providers need to deliver the
difficult type of lock is SIM card lock; this implies that aunlocking code along with the mobile phone at the time
phone is workable with only one SIM. This is difficult inof selling. This may be chargeable for an initial duration
terms of changing the mobile itself once the SIM getsof 12 months in some cases.
damaged.On the other hand, in Hong Kong and Finland carriers in
The most commonly used SIM lock option is serviceparticular are not eligible to sell locked mobile phones to
provider lock or SP lock. It depends on the physicaltheir customers; however, exceptions are there for
network that many of the service providers mayparticular sets.
access. When SP lock option is enabled, it affirms that