[Galaxy Note 3 General] dxzh:
Each phone seems to be shipped with a particular Sales Code. Any NetworkLock associated with the Sales Code is found in the CSC. In , appear to be three separate lock scenarios which do not mix:

1. Carrier lock: The phone is locked and the NetworkLock field sets out the particular MCC (country code) and MNC (network code) which a SIM must have in order to work for so long as the phone remains locked. Each NetworkLock field therefore consists of a three digit MCC followed by a 2 or 3 digit MNC, but occasionally a # is substituted to mean any digit 0-9. This NetworkLock field is the customary carrier lock and prevents the use of both national and international SIMs other than the permitted MCC+MNC combination. There are one or two oddities in that some NetworkLock fields have test numbers (such as 00101 and 99999) and/or have several NumberLock fields as the carrier operates more than one network; or

2. Regional lock: The phone is locked and NetworkLock fields set out the particular blocked MCCs, and the MNC is replaced by 'BB' ino order to block (instead of permit) all networks with that MCC. This lock is the regional lock; or

3. No lock: The phone is assumed to be unlocked as there is no NetworkLockfield in the CSC to be enforced. The phone can still be heavily branded for a particular carrier in terms of apps, bookmarks and other settings. Besides this network customisation ion there is no restriction preventing the use of a SIM from another (national or international) network provider.

There do not seem to be any examples of a CSC yet where lock scenarios 1 and 2 are mixed together- they appear to be mutually exclusive. Both scenarios 1 and 2 appear to be able to be unlocked using a Network unlock code - this is perhaps not surprising as they both seem to depend on the same NetworkLock field in order to work. Despite the sticker on the box, it appears that the regional lock does not restrict all SIMs from outside the region but only those listed in the NetworkLock fields of that particular phone's CSC.

Samsung seems to give or sell the network lock key, in the case of option 1, to the carrier. In scenario 2 where there is no controlling carrier, Samsung do not seem to have put in place a mechanism for customers to obtain an unlock key. Instead there seems to be a verification process taking place following purchase resulting in the release of the regional lock.

Even within any one country in Europe, a customer purchasing an otherwise identical Note 3 may be treated in several different ways depending on the Sales Code of the phone. For example, it seems that:

- in Germany, sales code VIA appears to have neither carrier-lock nor regional-lock, whereas sales code DBT (wrapped up sometimes in the OXA CSC) contains the 63 MCC regional lock.

- in France, sales code BOG appears to have neither neither carrier-lock nor regional-lock, whereas sales codes SFR and XEF (wrapped up sometimes in the OXA CSC) contain the 63 MCC regional lock.

- in the UK, sales codes H3G and 02U are carrier-locked to 3 and O2 respectively, whereas sales code BTU (wrapped up sometimes in the OXA CSC) contain the 63 MCC regional lock.

For those using a particular network SIM, there may be a different result dependent on the sales code:. For example, it appears that:

- in Germany, if an O2.de customer has a phone with a VIA sales code it will be unlocked, whereas buying one with a DBT sales code may result in a regional lock.

- in UK, an O2 customer might be carrier locked if buys a 02U sales code phone but regionally locked if buys an OXA sales code phone.

Some care is needed to check the Sales Code it would seem and to check the CSC. But that information is not readily available to sales staff or websites selling SIM-free phones, let alone customers. What would still be much appreciated is some apk to read off the lock state of the Note 3 at time of purchase so that can tell whether any NetworkLock field in the CSC is, or is not, switched ON.