It reminded me of AT&T’s move to lock SIM cards when Apple first announced the “Apple SIM” (one of the early eSIMs). I bought an unlocked iPad directly from Apple. But the moment I activated cellular data on AT&T on that iPad, the SIM was locked to AT&T and couldn’t be used anywhere else. So much for a “universal” SIM!
At the time, I had no choice as AT&T was the only reliable option in this area. I think this predatory practice didn’t last, but I haven’t confirmed that.
Thanks for providing another data point in the wretched carrier lock matter. In my opinion, carriers are throwing customers under the bus to protect their dodgy business model.
Meanwhile … I switched my family plan to Consumer Cellular. CC now uses AT&T towers. My experience over the last week is quite positive - excellent cellular service in my home and everywhere I have traveled - at 1/3 the cost. In the past MVNOs provided meager data allowances. Today Consumer Cellular allows unlimited data and does not throttle data until a threshold of 50 GB is reached. This is even better than my prior expensive AT&T plan. Plus, CC provides good customer service - easy to reach a knowledgeable rep on the phone. And after switching to the new carrier I confirmed that both of my family’s phones are unlocked.
