One of the big fears of the mobile carriers is that the handset vendors become in control of the customer relation (through app shop etc). I can not believe that all of a sudden they would now facilitate this. No they will make the link to the customer much stronger, eg by making sure that once you buy a handset you are completely locked in, see CDMA. Roaming will still work seemlessly, but you will not be able to swap sim’s anymore.

Anyway, sim cards already connect to nearly every GSM network on the planet automatically. It’s already just as easy (in fact easier as no paswords etc are required) to access a cell network as it is a wireless one. All that’s missing is agreements between the network providors that won’t make me sell my first born to be able to make overseas calls with my local phone number and sim. The ONLY reason I need to change sims when I travel is so I don’t get ripped off on making calls and using data while overseas.

The only thing that a fixed sim will do is make it more difficult for consumers to change to a local carrier and make calls at the local rates. It will make it easier for carriers to have multi-tiered and discriminatory pricing for overseas visitors.

Gordon

While I agree with your argument in principal, you’re talking about the antiquated US model not what the rest of the world does. And I also don’t suffer from the other providor based restrictions. i can tether my iphone to a computer out of the box. I pay less for data than you do in the US. And I can buy an iphone on no contract and have a choice of prepaid and no contract plans available if i don’t want a subsidised phone.

Gordon