When I pre-ordered, I was asked if I was going to use the phone internationally. That would mean to me yes, it is a global phone. When I selected "no", I was told I could unlock it later.
If it has GSM radios it should be unlocked from the get go. Verizon's iPhone 5 is sim unlocked from the factory and they had some announcement to the effect of going forward all devices that are on the 4G network will be fully sim unlocked to comply with the requirements for their spectrum block. So here's hoping.
I'm officially confused. There is no confirmation for reputable (and un-reputable) sources on the availability of GSM on Verizon's Samsung Galaxy Note 2.
Even the Samsung rep that I spoke to on the phone seemed unsure. I guess it will be revealed when someone actually holds the Galaxy Note 2 at a Verizon store?