Three-quarters of Americans want multi-mode mobiles

A survey commissioned by the Consumers Union shows that nearly three-quarters of Americans would support legislation that would force mobile phones to be compatible with all wireless standards.

According to the survey, 73% said they would support a government rule that requires handsets to be compatible with all US cellular services. This view was supported most strongly by smart phone owners (81%). Virtually all respondents (96%) felt that consumers should be able to keep their existing handsets when changing carriers. An overwhelming majority (88%) said that their handset should work on any cellular network they choose.
According to Parul P. Desai, policy counsel for Consumers Union, as technology makes it easier for people to take their phones with them when changing wireless carriers; they want to make sure this benefit is extended to all consumers. The poll results announced today make it clear that this is a feature that nearly all cell phone owners feel they should be able to utilize.