Lots of people are not satisfied with their cell phone plans. Their option of choice: unlock their cell phones.

How about you? Are you happy with the level of service and fees your cellular service provider offers? Many people are responding "no" to that question.

The vast majority of phones, however, are tied to a specific cellular provider, and so are you. It's like buying a refrigerator with a plug that only can use electrical power from Florida Power and Light. It's almost beyond belief, with our competition laws, that cell phones are still sold that way.

Cell phones are really small, specialized computers with a visual display unit and a keypad or keyboard. These little computers run a variety of programs that can perform some really amazing functions. Needless to say, a few of the functions are to make and receive calls, text messages, send and receive pictures, and so on.

The programming in the cell phone normally ties it to a particular cellular service provider. The identification of the network plus your personal cell phone number are stored on a removable SIM card. The subscriber identity module (or SIM card) is a removable card that contains a little memory module that identifies you and a network. The SIM card allows a specific network to track your cellular usage so you get accurate bills.

But, the key point is that the cell phone's programming often looks for a "key" or code on the SIM card that identifies the network being used. Locked cell phones will connect only with a cellular service provider identified by a unique key. Cell phones generally come programmed to indicate that they do not recognize SIM cards that identify other cellular service providers.

What are you able to do to get your mobile phone to use the network of your choice?

There are two choices. You can reprogram your cell phone to pay no attention to the network code on the SIM card–this unlocks your phone. Or, you are able to buy an already unlocked cell phone.

Many people are more focused on getting their current cell phone to work with another network. Not being computer programmers, most people will want a bit of help to reprogram or unlock their cell phone. Happily, the vast majority of cell phones can be reprogrammed rapidly and easily.

To unlock a cell phone you'll have to change the program stored in the cell phone so it doesn’t check for a specific cellular network. This isn't as hard as it sounds.

You can reprogram your cell phone by pressing the appropriate sequence of keys on your cell phone's keypad or keyboard. Because the programs are different for every manufacturer, the sequence of key presses also is different. Even models which are alike have somewhat different programs.

So, if you need to unlock your cell phone you'll have to use that exact sequence of key presses that work with the model you own. The wrong sequence could modify another part of the mobile phone's program and cause the cell phone to stop working altogether.

Various groups have perfected they key press sequences and sell the precise sequence online. This is the safest way to unlock your cell phone so you may use the cellular service provider of your choice.

If you are in search of more information about this subject, check out our unlock cell phone page. You'll be pleased you did.