Editing SIM lock (section)

=== United Kingdom ===
In the [[United Kingdom]], mobile phone network providers are not obliged to provide unlocking, even after the end of the contract. [[Ofcom]], UK's telecom regulator, allowed [[Three UK|3]] to sell a mobile phone with the SIM card permanently superglued to the phone.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/News/4162/____________Prepay_users_stuck_with_3.aspx|title=3 UK superglued SIM card into the cell phone|access-date=7 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112011801/http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/News/4162/____________Prepay_users_stuck_with_3.aspx|archive-date=12 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Most operators offer some form of unlocking service, depending on the state of the contract and the model of phone, but usually for a charge.  The full [[Oftel]] 2002 SIM-lock position paper specifies that there is no SIM-locking law in the UK; the regulator wants only "consumer awareness".  The examples within the position paper are just "examples" of current carrier practices for illustration purposes, but do not reflect any official Oftel regulation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/oftel/publications/mobile/2002/sim1102.htm|title=OFCOM Review of SIM-locking policy|publisher=Ofcom |access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref>  The main networks often agree to unlock handsets for a charge, either at the end of a contract or, for prepaid handsets, after several months. Some Blackberry handsets supplied by [[Vodafone]] (e.g., [[BlackBerry Storm|Storm]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=11082&st=20|title=Vodafone UK's position on not offering unlocking codes to Blackberry Storm|publisher=Vodafone|access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref> are examples of a UK carrier not offering unlocking codes. As of April 2011 [[O2 (UK)|O2]] will unlock any of their pay-monthly phones for free, even if they're still in contract, with the exception of handsets made exclusively for them, such as their Palm devices.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.o2.co.uk/help/phones-sims-and-devices/unlocking-an-o2-mobile-to-use-on-a-different-network|title=Unlocking your O2 device for use on a different network|date=February 2015|website=[[O2 (UK)|O2]]|language=en|access-date=2020-02-02}}</ref>
[[Carphone Warehouse]], one of the largest UK phone retailers, offers unlocked phones with most PAYG deals.{{citation needed|date=February 2015}}
As of January 1, 2014, all phones sold by 3 UK are unlocked. Phones bought before this date will be unlocked for free.<ref>{{cite web|title=Unlocking a 3 device for use on another network|url=http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBISAPI.DLL?Command=New,Kb=Mobile,Ts=Mobile,T=Article,varset_cat=billing,varset_subcat=3772,Case=obj(4363)|access-date=15 April 2017}}</ref>

On 17 December 2019, Ofcom announced that it would explore a mandate banning SIM locking.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50823052|title=Ofcom proposes locked-handset ban|date=2019-12-17|access-date=2019-12-17|language=en-GB}}</ref> On 27 October 2020, The UK's mobile networks are to be forbidden from selling phones locked to their services from December 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54692179|title=Mobile networks banned from selling locked phones|date=2020-10-27|access-date=2020-10-27|language=en-GB}}</ref>