Persuasive Outline
Cell Phone unlocking

Attention getter: I’m sure that everyone here has heard about the Apple iPhone. Well if you wanted to get this phone you would have to sign a 2 year contract with AT&T Wireless. So if you already have contracts with other carrier companies? The answer is you would be out of luck. This is because the iPhone like others is locked so that it can only be used on AT&T’s network.
Intro: Hello everyone my name is Ben Kornmeier. Today I am here to tell you that mobile phones should be available to anyone regardless of the carrier that they are using. First I will explain what locking is, and why it is done. Next I will explain what unlocking is, and the measures being taken to stop people from unlocking their phones. After which I want to explain what other nations are doing in regards to the locking of phones. I will also explain why locking a phone is bad for consumers. Finally I will tell you what should be done instead, and why this way is better.
Body:
1. What is cell phone locking, and the reasons carriers do it.
a. Cell phone locking is disabling certain parts in the phone, and making the phone so that it only uses the mobile phones network.
b. Carriers do this for a few reasons.
i. Cell phone companies want to lock people in to contracts and need a way to enforce this contract
ii. Cell phone companies want to have exclusivity to certain phones, to make them look more enticing.
iii. Cell phone companies will disable certain parts of the phone, and charge extra to re-enable it.
2. What is cell phone un-locking, and what carriers do to stop it.
a. Cell phone unlocking enables any parts of the phone disabled by the carrier. It also allows the phone to be used on any network that uses the same network technology.
b. Cell phone manufactures and carriers have teamed up to stop unlocking. Apple is an example.
3. What other nations are doing in regards to cell phone locking.
a. Britain allows cell phones to be locked.
b. Belgium does not allow the sale of locked phones
c. The Netherlands and Spain allows locked phones, but unlocking codes must be provided to the customer.
d. Finland does not allow the sale of locked phones.
4. Cell phone locking is bad for consumers.
a. It forces you to make a decision based on what is available through the carriers, and not what you want.
b. It does not allow you to roam freely around the world. In some cases two phones are needed for different countries as a result.
c. Locked phones have worse reception, because they are bound to a specific carrier they will only used that carrier’s wireless network. Even when the reception is bad, and there is another network with better reception.
d. Locked phone have larger roaming bills because when they are forced on to another carriers network, they cannot use that network without getting charged by two different companies.
5. What should be done instead?
a. The US government should not allow the sale of locked phones.
b. All phones should be sold directly from the manufacture.
c. No phone should be part of a contract.
d. So what would this be like?
i. Like buying a computer. You internet service provider does not tell you what computer to run.
ii. Carrier companies would have to fight harder for your business, since you could easily switch carriers.
iii. Roaming would be a thing of the past since your phone could use different carriers without being charged double, you would just get different bills from different carrier companies.
Conclusion: In conclusion I have told you what cell phone locking is and why it is done. I have also told you about cell phone un-locking, and what is being done to prevent it. After which I told you what other nations were doing in regard to locking. I then told why it is bad for consumers to lock phones. And finally I hope I gave some resolution as to what should be done.
Closing: So the next time you have your eye on that new snazzy phone, but cannot buy it because it is locked, just remember that laws need to change to make phone buying more like computer buying. So people can get the phone they want regardless of carriers.