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A '''SIM lock''', not to be confused with PIN or PUK code, is a feature implemented by [[mobile phone]] manufacturers and providers to allow only the use of [[Subscriber_Identity_Module|SIM]] cards in the phone that meet specific criteria. Currently, phones can be locked to only accept SIM cards from one or more of the following:
The '''Easter Proclamation''', officially referred to as the '''Proclamation of the Republic''', was a document issued by the [[Irish Volunteers]] and [[Irish Citizen Army]] during the [[Easter Rising]] in [[Ireland]], which began on [[24 April]], [[1916]]. In it the Military Council of the [[Irish Republican Brotherhood]], styling itself the "[[Provisional Government of the Irish Republic]]", proclaimed [[Ireland|Irish]] independence from the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]. The reading of the proclamation by [[Padraig Pearse|Pádraig Pearse]] outside the [[General Post Office (Dublin)|General Post Office]] (GPO) in Sackville Street (now called [[O'Connell Street]]), Dublin's main thoroughfare, marked the beginning of the Rising. The proclamation was modelled on a similar independence proclamation issued during the 1803 rebellion by Irish rebel [[Robert Emmet]].
* Countries
The document is headed ''Poblacht na hÉireann'', which is ''[[Irish Republic]]'' in the [[Irish language]].
* Networks (e.g. [[T-Mobile]], [[Orange (company)|Orange]], etc)
* Providers
* SIM types (i.e. only specific SIM cards can be used with the phone).
A SIM lock is typically applied on a mobile phone that is supplied to a customer on favorable conditions, such as a phone provided without charge on a [[contract]].
{{Easter Proclamation}}
==Types of SIM locks==
Before reading the proclamation (to the bemusement and some derision from shoppers and passers-by), Pearse and other Republican leaders seized the GPO and made it their military headquarters, flying the new flag of the republic (a green flag with the words '[[Irish Republic]]' emblazoned across it) from the flag-pole instead of the [[Union Jack]] which had hitherto flown there. The flag of the military unit that seized the GPO, ''E Company'', a green, white and orange [[tricolour]], was also flown on a lower flag-pole. The GPO, the Easter Proclamation and the tricolour (which later came to be seen as the flag of the republic, replacing the original green flag, which is now on display in the National Museum of Ireland) are the three most identifiable symbols of the Easter Rising, alongside the leaders, such as Pearse, [[Tom Clarke (Irish republican)|Tom Clarke]], [[James Connolly (nationalist)|James Connolly]] and others.
The ''country lock'' only allows the use of the phone with SIM cards that originated in a specific country or group of countries.
A ''network lock'' only allows the use of the phone with SIM cards that belong to a specific network.
==The text of the Easter Proclamation==
{{wikisourcepar|Proclamation of the Republic}}
''IRISHMEN AND IRISHWOMEN: In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom.''
The most common lock is the ''service provider lock'' (SP-lock). Many different service providers may use the same physical network (e.g. [[MVNO|MVNOs]]). An SP-lock ensures that the handset is only used with SIM cards for the same service provider that marketed the handset. Service providers sometimes substantially subsidize handsets, and locking the handset improves the odds that its use will economically benefit the service provider.
''Having organised and trained her manhood through her secret revolutionary organisation, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and through her open military organisations, the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army, having patiently perfected her discipline, having resolutely waited for the right moment to reveal itself, she now seizes that moment, and, supported by her exiled children in America and by gallant allies in Europe, but relying in the first on her own strength, she strikes in full confidence of victory.''
With this type of lock it's often possible to buy a cheap pay-as-you-go handset, and replace the SIM card with your current subscription SIM card from the same service provider. In this way you can buy a cheap subsidized handset, while retaining your existing subscription. However, some service providers use a different service provider code for their pay-as-you-go handsets, so it won't recognize a subscription SIM card as being from the same service provider.
''We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible. The long usurption of that right by a foreign people and government has not extinguished the right, nor can it ever be extinguished except by the destruction of the Irish people. In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty : six times during the past three hundred years they have asserted it in arms. Standing on that fundamental right and again asserting it in arms in the face of the world, we hereby proclaim the Irish Republic as a Sovereign Independent State, and we pledge our lives and the lives of our comrades-in-arms to the cause of its freedom, of its welfare, and its exaltation among the nations.''
The most restrictive type of lock which can be used is the full SIM card lock, which means that a phone will only work with one SIM card. If that SIM card malfunctions or is damaged, the phone will no longer work and must be serviced.
''The Irish Republic is entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Irishman and Irishwoman. The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.''
==Laws on SIM locking==
''Until our arms have brought the opportune moment for the establishment of a permanent National Government, representative of the whole people of Ireland and elected by the suffrages of all her men and women, the Provisional Government, hereby constituted, will administer the civil and military affairs of the Republic in trust for the people.''
At this time in most countries it is either mandatory or voluntary for the provider to unlock the customer's mobile phone. However, some providers, including the former [[AT&T Wireless]], never unlock handsets, even after a customer has fulfilled their service contract.{{fact}} Other providers, for example [[T-Mobile]] and more recently [[Cingular]] will unlock phones if the customer has an active account in good standing for at least 90 days.{{fact}}
In the [[United Kingdom]], government regulator [[OFCOM]] dictates that networks must release the unlocking information to customers for non-contract handsets (e.g. [[Pay as you go]]) on request. Customers who purchase handsets under “Pay as you go” or a similar scheme are purchasing the handset outright at the point of sale, this has in effect made phone unlocking in the UK a consumer right.{{fact}}
''We place the cause of the Irish Republic under the protection of the Most High God, Whose blessing we invoke upon our arms, and we pray that no one who serves that cause will dishonour it by cowardice, inhumanity, or rapine. In this supreme hour the Irish nation must, by its valour and discipline and by the readiness of its children to sacrifice themselves for the common good, prove itself worthy of the august destiny to which it is called.''
UK network providers are permitted to charge a fee for releasing the unlock code. This has prompted smaller businesses to offer cut price unlocking on the UK’s [[High Street]]s, [[marketplace]]s and [[car boot sale]]s.
==Principles of the proclamation==
Though the Rising failed in military terms, the principles of the Proclamation to varying degrees influenced the thinking of later generations of Irish politicians. The document consisted of a number of assertions:
Belgium doesn't allow networks to sell locked handsets. In The Netherlands, providers must provide unlocking codes, but can charge a fee for this during the first 12 months after purchase; the unlocking code must be provided at no cost after this period of time.{{fact}}
* that the Rising's leaders, though unelected, spoke for Ireland (a claim historically made by Irish insurrectionary movements);
In Hong Kong, networks are not allowed to sell locked mobile phones, with the exception of some PDA phone models, such as those offered by [[Blackberry]].
* that the Rising marked another wave of attempts to achieve independence through force of arms;
==Unlocking==
* that the [[Irish Republican Brotherhood]], the [[Irish Volunteers]] and the [[Irish Citizens Army]] were central to the Rising;
A handset can be unlocked by entering a special code, or in some cases, [[Over The Air Programmable|over-the-air]] by the carrier.
Typically, a locked phone will display a message if a restricted SIM is used, requesting the unlock code.
* "the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland", a statement seen by some contemporaries as quasi-socialist and which some conservatives found troublesome (similar assertions in later declarations, notably the ''Democratic Programme'' adopted by the [[First Dáil]] in 1919, were deleted or toned down);
For example, on the [[Sony Ericsson]] T610 mobile phone, "Insert correct SIM card" will appear on the phone's display if the wrong SIM is used. Once a valid unlocking code is entered, the phone will display "Network unlocked". In some cases, the phone will simply display a message explaining that it is locked. This is especially the case with handsets provided by Cingular Wireless.
* that the form of government of the declared ''Irish Republic'' was to be a republic;
The code required to remove all SIM locks from a phone is called the ''master code'' or ''network code key''.
* a guarantee of "religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens", the first mention of gender equality, given that Irish women were not allowed to vote;
The unlock code is verified by the phone itself, and is either stored in a database or calculated using an [[security through obscurity|obscure]] [[mathematics|mathematical]] formula by the provider.
* a commitment to universal suffrage, a phenomenon limited at the time to only a handful of countries and not including Britain;
The algorithms used in almost all [[Nokia]] brand phones (based on [[IMEI]] and [[List of mobile country codes|MCC]] code) have been reverse engineered, stolen or leaked, resulting in many people offering nokia unlock codes for free or for a fee. Many other manufacturers have taken a more cautious approach, and embed a [[random]] number in the handset's [[firmware]] that is only retained by the network on whose behalf the lock was applied.
* a promise to cherish "all the children of the nation equally" (though often misinterpreted as referring to Irish children and their rights, it actually meant people of all religions, who were all seen as 'children of the nation').
==The printing and distribution of the text==
The proclamation had been printed secretly prior to the Rising. Because of its secret printing by a small printers, problems arose which affected the layout and design. In particular, because of a shortage of lettering, the document was printed in two halves, leading to a proliferation of 'half copies', most of which were destroyed by [[British army|British soldiers]] in the aftermath of the Rising. The typesetter lacked a sufficient supply of same size and font letters, and as a result the latter half of the document used smaller ''e''s than the rest of the text, a distinctive feature of the document (though only noticed when studied up close). The language suggested that the original copy of the proclamation had actually been signed by the Rising's leaders. However no evidence has ever been found, nor do any contemporary records mention, the existence of an ''actually signed'' copy, though had such a copy existed, it could easily have been destroyed in the aftermath of the Rising by someone (in the British military, a member of the public or a Rising participant trying to destroy potentially incriminating evidence) who did not appreciate its historic importance.
Most phones have security measures built in its software that prevent users from entering the unlock code too many times, usually four. After that the phone becomes "hard-locked" and a special unlocking equipment has to be used in order to unlock it.
==The signatories==
One question sometimes raised is why the first name among the 'signatories' was not Pearse but Tom Clarke, a veteran republican. Had the arrangement of names been alphabetical, [[Eamon Ceannt]] would have appeared on top. Clarke's widow maintained that it was because the plan had been for Clarke, as a famed veteran, to become the ''President of the Provisional Republic''. Such an explanation would certainly explain his premier position. However others associated with the Rising dismissed her claims, which she made in her memoirs. Later documents issued by the rebels gave Pearse pride of place though as 'Commanding in Chief the Forces of the Irish Republic, and President of the Provisional ''Government'' '<sup>1</sup>, not 'President of the Republic'. Whether the plan had ever been to have Clarke as a symbolic head of state and Pearse as head of government, or was simply that Pearse was always to be central but with statements ambiguously describing his title, remains a mystery about which historians still speculate.
Handset manufacturers have economic incentives both to strengthen simlock security (which placates network providers and enables exclusivity deals), but also to weaken it (broadening a handset's appeal to customers who are not interested in the service provider that offers it). Also, making it too difficult to unlock a handset makes it less appealing to network service providers that have a legal obligation to provide unlock codes for every handset they've ever sold.
All seven signatories of the proclamation were executed by the British military in the aftermath of the Rising, being viewed as having committed treason in wartime (i.e., the [[World War I|First World War]]).<sup>2</sup> British political leaders regarded the executions initially as unwise, later as a catastrophe, with the [[British Prime Minister]] [[Herbert Asquith]] and later prime minister [[David Lloyd George]] stating that they regretted allowing the British military to treat the matter as a matter of military law in wartime, rather than insisting that the leaders were treated under civilian criminal law. Though initially deeply unsympathetic to the Rising (the leading Irish nationalist newspaper, the [[Irish Independent]] called for their execution), Irish public opinion switched and became more sympathetic due to manner of their treatment and executions. Eventually Asquith's government ordered a halt to the executions and insisted that those not already executed be dealt with through civilian, not military, law. By that stage all the signatories and a number of others had been executed.
The main reason to unlock a phone is to be able to use it with a different SIM card. For example, when travelling abroad it's usually cheaper to temporarily use a foreign network.
==The document today==
Full copies of the Easter Proclamation are now treated as a revered Irish nationalist icon, and a copy was recently sold at auction for €390,000. A copy owned (and later signed as a memento) by Rising participant [[Sean T. O'Kelly]] was presented by O'Kelly, by then [[President of Ireland]], to the Irish parliament buildings, [[Leinster House]], where it is on permanent display in the main foyer. Other copies are on display in the GPO (headquarters of the Rising and the place where the Proclamation was first read), the National Museum of Ireland and other museums worldwide. Facsimile copies are for sale to tourists in Ireland. Copies of the text are often displayed in Irish schools.
In some cases, a simlocked handset is sold at a substantially lower price than an unlocked one, because the service provider expects income through its service. A consumer may choose to unlock the phone and continue using his previous provider. Therefore, simlocks are usually employed on cheaper (pay-as-you-go) handsets, while discounts on more expensive handsets require a subscription that provides guaranteed cash flow.
==See also==
*The signatories:
**[[Thomas J. Clarke]]
**[[Sean MacDiarmada]]
**[[Thomas MacDonagh]]
**[[Padraig Pearse]]
**[[Eamonn Ceannt]]
**[[James Connolly (nationalist)|James Connolly]]
**[[Joseph Plunkett]]
* [[Anglo-Irish War]]
* [[W.T. Cosgrave]]
* [[Dáil Éireann]]
* [[Eamon de Valera]]
* [[Dublin Castle]]
* [[Easter Rising]]
* [[Robert Emmet]]
* [[First Dáil]]
* [[Irish Republic]] (1919–1922)
* [[Irish Republican Army]]
* [[President of Dáil Éireann]]
* [[President of the Irish Republic]]
A practice known as "box breaking" is common in the UK and some other markets. This involves purchasing (usually) pay as you go handsets from retail stores, unlocking the phones, and then selling them (often abroad) for a higher price than the subsidised retail price. The SIM card that came with the subsidised handset is then either thrown away or sold or used elsewhere. This practice is entirely legal in the UK, and provides a de-facto limit to the extent to which networks are willing to subsidise pay as you go handsets. In recent times network operators have been insisting that new customers purchase substantial amounts of airtime at the same time as they buy a new handset, in order that the total price they pay comes close to the true value of the handset.
==Footnotes==
# "The Provisional Government to the Citizens of Dublin" proclamation. ''(National Library of Ireland poster collection)''
===Unlocking via computer===
# ''Dublin Gazette'' Proclamation of the [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]], [[Ivor Churchill, Baron Wimborne]], on [[9 May]] [[1916]] had proclaimed Dublin under martial law, with the statement that subsequent actions by the [[Dublin Castle]] administration would be taken in accordance with that declaration.
One of the most popular ways phones are unlocked is using the [[RS-232]] or [[LPT]] port of a [[computer]] using [[software]] usually written specifically for the model of phone being unlocked. In some cases, special "unlocking clips" or "unlocking boxes" are used which re-program the software that controls the phone, removing the SIM lock. However, such clips are usually very expensive.
===Regulations on unlocking===
Unlocking a phone without the permission or unlocking code from the provider is usually in breach of the agreement with the provider, though most countries do not make specific [[law]]s prohibiting the removal of SIM locks. (In many markets, it is also unlikely that a customer who has purchased a pay as you go phone over the counter in a store is legally bound by any such contract anyway). For example, in [[Poland]], the law states that providers cannot word their customer contracts so that they forbid the removal of SIM locks, and the process is entirely legal providing that the IMEI number of the phone is not changed during the unlocking process.
In the [[United Kingdom]] under the [[Mobile Telephones (Re-programming) Act 2002]], changing the IMEI of the phone is illegal. However, the IMEI us not changed during any unlocking process.
In the Netherlands unlocking is legal provided that the process does not overwrite the handset's flash memory with a (modified) copy of [[copyright|copyrighted]] [[firmware]], since this would be a breach of copyright retained by the manufacturer. However, unlocking a handset will void its [[warranty]].
In the [[United States]] under new copyright rules, cellular phone unlocking is now legal. The new rules took effect November 27, 2006 and will expire in three years.
==See also==
* [[IMEI]]
* [[Mobile phone]]
== External links ==
==Additional reading==
*[http://www.cellcorner.com/xshp/ Cell Phone Unlock] - Information and resources on phone unlocking.
* Tim Pat Coogan, ''Michael Collins'' (ISBN 0091741068)
*[http://unlockitfree.com Free GSM Unlocking] - Free Nokia GSM Unlocking and Info.
* Tim Pat Coogan, ''de Valera'' (ISBN 009175030X)
*[http://unlock.it unlock.it!] - Free mobile phone, MDA unlocking and BB5 Info.
* Dorothy McCardle, ''The Irish Republic''
* Arthur Mitchell and Padraig Ó Snodaigh, ''Irish Political Documents: 1916–1949''
* John O'Connor, ''The 1916 Proclamation''
[[Category:OfficialGSM documents of IrelandStandard]]
[[Category:History of Ireland 1801-1922]]
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