Right, I meant that the scenario described is a near-best case in a global context as many (most?) countries unlike the US/UK/etc. require ID verification.
I don't believe this is true. It's very trivial to find a prepaid SIM in the US that one can just purchase, activate, and top-up with reload cards (which in turn can also be purchased with cash). Postpaid plans do often require ID verification because of the credit that is being extended, which I think is more than reasonable.
I guess that I'm a few years out of touch.
There's no ID requirement in the US, I think.