A few efforts have been publicized by developers and hackers that open the iPhone, including iPhoneSimFree and 17 year old George Hotz. The methods allow iPhones to send and receive phone calls over not just AT&T, which has an exclusive deal to sell and service iPhones, but other phone network as well.

The efforts have broken the traditional stranglehold the mobile phone industry has on mobile devices. Opening the iPhone to other networks lets customers use the cell phone provider they already have and can avoid coverage and high pricing from incumbent networks.