Bruce Hyer, the MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, tabled Bill C-560, the Cellphone Freedom Act, which would force cellphone carriers to unlock all the devices they sell.

The bill proposes three rules: cellphone carriers would be required to notify customers at the point of purchase whether a phone is locked to work only on their network; they would have to remove such a lock free of charge at any point after the conclusion of the customer's service contract; and they would have to remove it if the customer does not enter into a contract within six months of buying the device up front. This comes after Apple announced it will sell unlocked iPhones in Canada.

"Mobile phone customers should have the freedom to choose whether they want to be locked into a company's cell network or not," Hyer said in a statement.

"Right now, most consumers don't even know they [can] switch to another network without throwing out their phone and buying a new one, or trying to unlock their handset at some expensive aftermarket shop. Many resort to trying to download complicated instructions off the internet, but these can result in dead phones if used improperly."