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 Prepaid Phone Users Can Now Recycle their Handsets |
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Friday, December 01 2006 @ 04:19 PM Central Standard Time
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 Mobile users can now recycle their old mobile handsets that were previously used with other network providers without the hassle of having it technically unlocked by the former service carrier and without violating the copyright laws of the State.
If the phone is locked to a certain service provider, it could not be used with another network. Unlocking a cellular phone normally entails the entering of a certain password. In some countries like the United States, phone unlocking requires the existing carrier’s positive act to give the pass code upon customer’s request. Representatives of the mobile network basically assist the phone users to get their phone free from the bondage of the existing network.
The main point here is the network’s lock for the postpaid plan and the sim card locked for the prepaid plan. There are various forms locking schemes such as the keypad lock and the security lock. Keypad lock works when the owner of a handset would want to keep the device safe from any unintended or accidental pressing of a key. Such as when a person places it inside his pocket and hit the keypad by chance, the phone might dial by itself and run out the credit. To avoid this incident, the keypad can be locked by pressing some keys on it, so that even if its keys were inadvertently hit, the phone shall not recognize the command of the keys pressed until after it is unlocked again by pressing certain unlocking keys. Security lock operates to safeguard the private use by the owner of his mobile phone. The mobile phone shall refuse to open when it is a security password activated. Only the owner who knows the correct password can duly open the service of the phone.
The Federal Law in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act or DCMA has recently issued some exceptions that render an unlocking act, previously punishable, valid. Every three years, a set of exemptions is released by the Copyright office, as it deems necessary. Among the exemptions listed is the privilege granted to consumers to unlock their mobile handset. Prior to the amendment, the copyright law imposed the restrictions on the use of phone relative to the prohibition to access the handset’s firmware to support the business model. Since the law is already modified and is now allowing access to firmware, the consumers can already recycle their phone.
For postpaid plan holders, they can conveniently take their phones to another network provider upon the termination of their old contract with the existing network company.
Prepaid plan users shall acquire more advantages from this development. They can possibly keep in one handset the services of two or more network carriers by maintaining as many sim cards as they want. Sim cards are ones that power the prepaid phone and through which the services of the network providers operate.
If you are a prepaid plan user, you can expediently utilize another network carrier by just taking out your sim card from your phone and inserting the other sim card connected to another network. Sim card obtains credit from prepaid phone cards that come out in different prices in any store.
The non-infringement exceptions circulated lately by the copyright law would surely benefit the prepaid phone users more than postpaid plan holders were.
Jade Amethyst
http://www.flatrateonline.net |
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