Exactly.... so this is a petition to essentially ask the government to use legislation to change US carriers to the European carriers business model (higher costs for phones but lower monthly rates). Admittedly it is kinda of crazy that there would be a law locking down your phone to carrier... but we are either going to get cheap phones (at a loss to the carriers) or the up front price will go up. If the law does not pass..... it would be fun for awhile watching carriers still trying to undercut each other while the phone prices increase. How fast that happens should be forever labeled as the "Collusion Interval".

Nope -- that's not how it works...... For the past decade at least, Airframers/Assemblers such as Boeing bring suppliers on-sight during what they typically refer to Joint Definition Phase. Essentially this is when the aircraft subsystem specifications are developed. the suppliers are on site through at least critical design review and work side by side with Boeing engineers to develop system level and component level specifications. Often times this is even before a contract has been awarded to the suppliers... Reasons for this: 1) Benefit to Boeing... they get a specification that they know can be produced and they get the expertise of the suppliers. Avionic engineers know avionics, etc. 2) Benefit to Suppliers... they know when the specification goes out to bid for contract, it is in a form of which they can meet and competitively bid on it. Often times there is more than one supplier for a particular component or system working with the airframer to keep things competitive. Been this way for at least a decade..... those on the automotive side know the same drill.