It means (as best as I can understand it) that a cellphone can be used in any network. If you go to a contract cell phone you will find only certain phones available. This would allow presumably other phones to be used in the network of your choice. They are called "unlocked" cell phones. Do a google and you can read about it. I'm not altogether familiar with it myself but they can be purchased on ebay as well. I just found an ebay listing ending with eight available at $320 each. So there must be a demand for them.
I think this may explain these "unlocked" cell phones. And I might add that a relative just bought a prepaid cell phone and my caller ID doesn't identify him as it does his home land line or his regular cell phone that his wife carries. This leads me to believe that terrorists would have a real advantage in getting unlocked prepaid phones as they couldn't be traced to the user. I think. And they could simply discard the phone after using it. This would be doubly safe if they were up to no good.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-unlocked-cell-phones.htm
Interesting. So if I understand it right, they aren't stealing air time. It looks like they still buy the Sim card to get the minutes, but the phone will work with Sim cards from any network, making it more versatile.
So there could be a legitimate business model, unlocking the cell phones and selling them for more than they were originally worth.
But then why are the middle easterners all over this?
Muslims and middle easterners should have a 7 day waiting period to buy a cell phone.