Unlocked means the phone is not locked to any network. The phone can accept any sim card (except Video Networks). Usually phones come locked so they can only work on one network. For example if you have a phone locked to T-mobile but you want to insert a Vodafone sim card, this is not possible as the phone is "locked" to T-mobile but once it is unlocked it will then accept the Vodafone sim card.

Cell phones purchased from wireless carriers or with wireless service are locked to the particular carrier, meaning that you must use that carrier's service for placing and receiving calls. Since ours are unlocked, you are free to use any wireless carrier that uses GSM technology. Most carriers worldwide use this technology. In the U.S., AT&T/Cingular, T-Mobile, and many smaller carriers do (Verizon and Sprint/Nextel do not).

To find out whether your phone is unlocked, insert a SIM card from a different network into your phone. If it operates normally, it is unlocked. If not, you can ask your operator for an 'unlock code' which it is obliged to give you, though conditions and charges may apply. Alternatively you can unlock it yourself by taking your phone to an independent phone shop or by trying one of the independant unlocking websites.

Your network will actually supply the unlocking codes for you at a fee of at least ?15.00. We generate the codes for you, using the same software but for a fraction of the cost.

You can find the latest and some old Ericsson´s annual reports at: www.ericsson.com/investors/financial_reports

If you have a Nokia or selected other phones, then The Travel Insider can unlock it for you remotely. Go to The Travel Insider GSM unlock page, fill out the form, pay the $5 fee, and they'll send you back your phone's unlock code and complete instructions on how to unlock it. If you have a Motorola, Siemens, or Sony Ericsson phones, plus the Treo 600 phone/PDA then the can probably unlock that phone too, but you'll need to send the phone to us for unlocking.

Easy. Borrow a SIM from a friend who has an account with a different wireless service provider and see if it works in your phone or not. If it works, then your phone is already unlocked.

Unlocked is a term used mainly when referring to GSM (sim card based) Phones and it means that the phone can be used with any compatible sim card used by many wireless carriers.

Many of the GSM phones we offer are 'unlocked' which gives you a great degree of flexibility in the use of these phones. An unlocked GSM phone allows your phone to work with any service providers that support the same GSM technologies (e.g., AT&T Wireless, Cingular, T-Mobile, etc). A GSM phone has a removable account card, called a SIM (subscriber information module) and this SIM has a unique serial number on it. This is what identifies you to the wireless provider.

Check this website to see if the country you are interested in has GSM service, and, if it does, what frequency the GSM service(s) operate on.

Maybe. Your current wireless provider will still charge you exactly the same as before for all your calls. But because your phone is now unlocked, you can use a different SIM from a different provider whenever this might give you better rates - for example, when traveling overseas.

I've unlocked my phone, but when I turn it on, it still shows the name of the previous wireless service.

Sim-Free means the Mobile Phone does not come with a sim card. You either must have your own sim card to place in the phone or you need to buy a pay as you go sim card of your choice (T-Mobile, Orange, Vodafone or O2) to insert in the handset.

If you see a flashing envelope on the screen of your mobile phone, this means that the memory on your mobile phone is full and you will need to delete some messages in order to receive more.