Editing GSM (section)

=== Phone locking ===
Sometimes [[mobile network operator]]s restrict handsets that they sell for exclusive use in their own network. This is called [[SIM lock]]ing and is implemented by a software feature of the phone. A subscriber may usually contact the provider to remove the lock for a fee, utilize private services to remove the lock, or use software and websites to unlock the handset themselves. It is possible to hack past a phone locked by a network operator.

In some countries and regions (e.g. [[Brazil]] and [[Germany]]) all phones are sold unlocked due to the abundance of dual-SIM handsets and operators.<ref name="German_Unlock">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/technology/21iphone.html|title=iPhone Must Be Offered Without Contract Restrictions, German Court Rules|accessdate=2 February 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|year=2007|author=Victoria Shannon}}</ref>