ＳＩＭロック 「囲い込み商法」をやめる時だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Mobile phone carriers must stop corralling customers with SIM cards
ＳＩＭロック　「囲い込み商法」をやめる時だ

If cell phone subscribers can receive services from other mobile phone carriers without changing their actual phones, the convenience of using mobile phones will be greatly improved.
　手持ちの端末が他の携帯電話会社でも使えるようになれば、利便性は大いに向上しよう。

In using mobile phones, including smartphones, customers insert a subscriber identity module (SIM) card containing their subscription information into the phone before using it.
　スマートフォンなどの携帯電話は、契約情報を記録した「ＳＩＭカード」を差し込んで使っている。

Each mobile phone company puts “SIM locks” on the handsets so that subscribers cannot use their cell phones with other firms’ SIM cards, with the aim of preventing customers from switching to other companies. If customers transfer to other companies, they have to buy new phones from the companies to which they want to switch.
　携帯各社は他社のカードでは端末が作動しない「ＳＩＭロック」という制限をかけている。端末を買い替えなければ他社に乗り換えられないようにするためだ。

The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry intends to oblige mobile phone carriers to remove SIM locks for handsets from fiscal 2015 as corralling customers with the locks narrows the range of customers’ choices for phones and service providers.
　総務省は、こうした携帯各社の「囲い込み」が消費者の選択肢を狭めているとして、「ＳＩＭロック」の解除を２０１５年度から義務化する方針という。

Each time customers change to other mobile phone companies, they have to also stop using phones which they had long used, a situation with which many mobile phone users may not be satisfied. It is natural that mobile phone carriers are being ordered to remove the SIM locks.
　他の携帯会社に移るたびに、使い慣れた端末を手放さなければならない現状に、納得できない利用者は多いだろう。ロック解除の義務化は当然である。

The three major mobile phone carriers—NTT Docomo, KDDI and SoftBank—have monopolized the market with an almost uniform set of services and rates.
　ＮＴＴドコモ、ＫＤＤＩ、ソフトバンクの大手携帯３社は、ほぼ横並びのサービス、料金のもとで寡占状態を続けてきた。

In other countries, such as the United States and European nations, mobile phone carriers, in many cases, are obliged to remove SIM locks after a certain period of time after a subscription begins.
　欧米など海外では、契約から一定期間後にロック解除を義務化しているケースが多い。

Voluntary action lacking

In 2010, the communications ministry asked mobile phone firms on a voluntary basis to remove their SIM locks, but there has been limited success. It can be said that the mobile phone industry has not changed its negative approach to the ministry’s request, resulting in the ministry resorting to ordering them to do so.
　総務省も１０年、携帯各社に自主的にロックを外すよう求めたが、解除は一部の端末にとどまった。携帯業界の消極的な姿勢が改まらず、義務化に踏み切らざるを得なくなったと言えよう。

Mobile virtual network operators, which offer communication services at a low rate, have recently appeared, but they hold only a 4 percent share in the market.
　割安な料金の通信サービスを提供する仮想移動体通信事業者（ＭＶＮＯ）が登場しているが、そのシェア（占有率）は約４％にすぎないとされる。

In taking advantage of the removal of SIM locks, it is expected that the number of new entrants into the market will increase, which will lead to the diversification of rates and communication services.
　ＳＩＭロック解除を弾みに新規参入が増え、料金や通信サービスの多様化が期待できよう。

If mobile phone companies do not take a user-unfriendly approach to the order, such as by setting a high fee for removing the locks, the effectiveness of having the locks removed will not be seen. We hope each mobile phone company will respond actively to the ministry’s move.
　ロック解除の手数料を高額に設定するなど使い勝手を悪くすれば実効性は上がるまい。携帯各社には積極的な対応を求めたい。

In some cases, voice telephone communication did not work well when customers changed to other companies’ SIM cards. Mobile phone companies are required to explain the possibility of such trouble to customers in an earnest manner.
　携帯会社によっては、ＳＩＭカードを差し替えると音声電話が通じなくなるなど、サービスに支障が出る場合もある。利用者への丁寧な説明が求められる。

It cannot be denied that corralling customers with SIM locks has fostered a fruitless competition for customers.
　ＳＩＭロックによる顧客の囲い込みが、不毛な顧客争奪戦を助長してきた面もある。

In the mobile phone industry, a business practice continues wherein mobile phone companies pay sales agents an incentive so that the agents can largely discount the smartphones, which are originally priced at tens of thousands of yen, and entice customers of other companies’ phones to change to their subscription.
　携帯業界では、販売代理店に販売奨励金を渡し、本来は何万円もするスマホを大幅に値引きして、他社から契約を乗り換えさせる商法が続けられている。

The business practice is beneficial for those who often change their smartphones. However, the incentive money is covered by communication fees paid by users.
　スマホを何度も買い替える人には得になるが、奨励金は利用者の支払う通信料でまかなわれる。

If long-time subscribers are ignored in such a manner, many of them will express their discontent. Mobile phone companies need to become aware of the stern look coming from their customers.
　長年の契約者がないがしろにされていると、不満を募らせる人も多い。携帯各社は利用者の厳しい視線を自覚する必要がある。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 10, 2014)