You can't "uninstall" any app that the carrier forces on you, but you can disable it as of ICS or better. The app is both prevented from running and hidden from the app drawer.
In practice, the amount of storage you're denied from not being able to completely wipe these apps is miniscule.
Just one of the neat bits of control that the newer Android versions give you :)
Wait, can you do that for the Google-default apps too? I have a half dozen Google+ settings/messengers/other things that I can't uninstall from my phone (Nexus), when I really just want to hide them from view.
Yes, you can Disable (most of?) them (in the same place you would Uninstall another app.)
Disabling some of them, like the Google Play Services component (famous for killing batteries on Nexus 7 tablets), will cause apps (like G+) to nag you to Enable them.
My Galaxy Nexus lets me do it, anyways. I tried on the Play Store, GMail, etc. Looks like the only things it doesn't work on are the apps that are the interface to basic phone functions (dialer, messaging, etc).
In practice, the amount of storage you're denied from not being able to completely wipe these apps is miniscule.
Just one of the neat bits of control that the newer Android versions give you :)