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FCC proposes ending cellphone carrier locks after 60 days (www.theregister.com)

submitted 6 months ago by ForgottenFlux to c/technology

118 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Long-term carrier lock-in could soon be a thing of the past in America after the FCC proposed requiring telcos to unlock cellphones from their networks 60 days after activation.

FCC boss Jessica Rosenworcel put out that proposal on Thursday, saying it would encourage competition between carriers. If subscribers could simply walk off to another telco with their handsets after two months of use, networks would have to do a lot more competing, the FCC reasons.

"When you buy a phone, you should have the freedom to decide when to change service to the carrier you want and not have the device you own stuck by practices that prevent you from making that choice," Rosenworcel said.

Carrier-locked devices contain software mechanisms that prevent them from being used on other providers' networks. The practice has long been criticized for being anti-consumer.

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[–] NewWorldOverHere 12 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Europe (Germany specifically) has their own problems with carriers though.

When you notify them that you’re cancelling your service, you still have to pay for 3 MORE full months of service after that. Even if you’re in the military and ordered to move. That’s a long time.

This 3 month period mandatory cancellation notice doesn’t change even if you’ve been with them for 2+ years.

For US carriers, once you’ve been with them more than the initial 2 years, you are pretty much able to cancel whenever.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

We'll that's not correct anymore. After at most 2 years (depending on the contract) you can cancel every month. It's the law since I think last year.