Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of a House subcommittee on telecommunications and the internet, slammed the iPhone’s restrictions this week in Washington.
Even though the phones become expensive paperweights if customers quit AT&T’s plan, claims Markey, AT&T still charges a $175 termination fee. Markey went on to say that the phone has “Hotel California service.
You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave – you’re stuck with your iPhone and you can’t take it anywhere.” The termination fee Markey mentions is quite common and can be found in virtually all long-term cellular contracts in the United States. While it is true that you can’t use take the iPhone to another service provider, the capabilities it retains after activation — iPod and Wi-Fi — are generally far greater than any other phone after being removed from service.
