I don’t like my cell phone company because of poor reception or other reasons, is my device locked to that service provider? The FCC wants to make it easy for consumers to switch to a different service provider.
new was suggested FCC rules could force mobile phone companies to unlock users’ phones and allow consumers to port their devices to the provider of their choice.
“When people buy a phone, they should have the freedom to decide when to change service to the carrier of their choice, and they shouldn’t be tied to their devices by practices that prevent that choice,” FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement accompanying the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
“True competition comes from transparency and consistency,” she continued, “which is why we are proposing clear, nationwide phone unlocking rules.”
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For many years, mobile phone and smartphone users have been forced to stick with the carrier to which their devices are locked. New Law It expanded consumers’ right to unlock their devices, something that was previously illegal.
Under the new proposal, the rules regarding unlocked phones would be much simpler: carriers would have to unlock your phone within 60 days of activation.
As TechCrunch As noted, there are likely some issues with this proposal that need to be resolved. For example, many consumers buy their phones through installment payments or multi-year contracts with carriers.
But at the same time, carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile often use questionable tactics to lock consumers into service plans even after they’ve bought and paid for the device.The FCC is looking to make cell phone purchasing more transparent.
More information about the legislation will become available next month when the FCC releases its full proposal documents and solicits public comment on the issue.
