"The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights filed suit accusing AT&T Wireless Services Inc, T-Mobile USA Inc and Cingular Wireless, of using software in their handsets that prevents them from being used on a competitors' network," reports AP.
"The phone companies defend their policy, saying they routinely subsidize handset cost. Companies would lose money if they allowed customers to then use those phones with another carrier."
Comment: OK, here's a silly idea, but it just might work. How about charging a fair (but profitable) price for handsets and a fair (but profitable) price for making mobile phone calls. That way, consumers could buy the handset they want and use it on the network they like, instead of having to try to figure out the best balance of subsidised handset and overpriced call charges from a plethora of confusing options. Or is the cellphone industry just not ready for a bit of open competition?
