1. Due to competing technical standards, a phone's hardware either works with Verizon and other carriers or it just works for other carriers.

2. If a phone is bought from a carrier then, because they're fucking pricks, they'll put that phone on a list such that no other carrier will accept it: carrier locked. If a phone is bought from the manufacturer then it'll be carrier unlocked and more expensive.

My wife and I can take our hardware to any carrier that suits us because we've the time to understand the scam and enough money to facilitate the wiser set of choices. The majority of Americans don't have the time or the money.

How come that nothing has ever been made to improve that situation?

The banks own the stock in the corporations that, through intermediate entities, fund our elections and write our legislation. Nothing is being done because our trade unions are weak and neoliberals don't understand why violence is now necessary.