Or, say, a mobile communications technology that allows people to (mostly) use a mobile phone in multiple countries, with different providers, switch phones without switching number, etc. etc.

So, Nokia has patents on (actual inventions) GSM. Apple has patented some "ideas" (e.g. pinch to zoom). Apple refuses to cross-license these "ideas" (not even the implementation, spec, actual standard) in return for access to the GSM patents.

So, please don't blame Nokia for not using these "unwritten" (but patented) "standards".