Wireless carriers have to unlock your paid off phone

[dmcowen674]

Doesn't Verizon make a point of using spectrum most other telco's don't?

If they get special versions of phones built that only have antennas capable of using their spectrum that is effectively a harware lock.

Yes and no. Originally they used a different technology so it had to be "special" phones, same as Sprint.

Now everyone is using LTE so the phones can cross carriers easier now.