While the government has been raising expectations that removing the SIM lock on cell phones will enable consumers to switch carriers but keep the same handsets, it will give virtually no immediate benefits to users under the current network environment, according to people in the industry.
But in the long run, experts also say, a SIM-free environment could increase market competition here and the competitiveness of Japanese firms abroad.
The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry aims to draft guidelines on removing the restriction on subscriber identity modules (SIM) early this month and come up with a final plan in June.