Moving abroad with iPhone?

Hi, I'm trying to find some user's experience on moving abroad with a simlocked iPhone (most likely US people using the iPhone legally).
For example, you buy the iPhone in the US, thus you have a contract of 2 years with AT&T. What happens when you move abroad (fe. Spain), and have to use a native operator (fe. a pre-paid with Vodafone)? Does this have consequences?
Next to this: what if the 2-year contract with the operator is over, and you want to switch to another operator? Will Apple unlock the phone and leting you use it legally with any other operator? Or would it force customers to take hold of an unlocked version?
It seems to me simlocking would limit the use of the iPhone in several countries, which is why it would be great to hear from people who had to deal with these situations already.
Personally, I currently live in Belgium, yet moving to Spain in some weeks time. I am therefor choosing between waiting for the unlocked Belgian version, or getting one in Spain and being bound to an operator...
Hope to get some answers. Thanks.
Tim

The US iPhone is carrier locked to ATT. Using it in Spain would entail signing up for one of ATT's international plans and paying for international roaming.
At this time, no one knows whether ATT or Apple will provide an unlock code when the 2 years are up since no phone has hit the 2 year mark yet. Come back July 1, 2009 for that question.

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