Cell phones have historically come carrier-locked from retailers in this nation. This is in addition to a typical two-year contract for services.
It stands to reason that if one is already contractually bound to pay for services for two years, then the phone purchased should be carrier-unlocked, so you can keep the phone and continue using it on other networks once the contract obligations are met.
In addition, during that contact period, one may travel overseas, and wish to use their existing phone with a foreign SIM. Currently, this is nigh impossible, as virtually no phones come carrier unlocked, even though they're capable of working overseas.
We need FCC Regulations, or legislation that mandates that consumers should get the full capabilities of the devices they pay for.