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Despite the fact that the 550 and the 950s processors can operate on VZW's network, Microsoft did not submit the phones for CDMA certification. Microsoft purposely restricted the phones to GSM networks. This locked out the customers of VZW, Sprint and their respective resellers.
Had Microsoft gone ahead and gotten CDMA certs and paid whatever licensing fees to Qualcomm, VZW would not be able to block network activations without getting slapped with fines by the FCC and the possibility of losing the rights to operate on certain frequencies.
If VZW chose not to sell any of the phones in its stores, one could simply go to a Microsoft Store or an independent dealer like Best Buy, purchase a phone, take it to a VZW Store, put it on the counter and tell the rep to activate it.
