The top U.S. telecommunications regulator on Thursday demanded that wireless providers voluntarily agree on the rights of consumers to unlock mobile devices once contracts end, or the Federal Communications Commission will make it a rule.
At issue is whether cellphone buyers, who often get new devices at a heavily subsidized price in return for committing to long-term contracts, should be able to take their gadgets with them when they change carriers.
The FCC and the wireless trade group CTIA have been working for eight months on developing a policy for the industry's Consumer Code that would address the rights of phone owners to unlock their devices.
In a letter to CTIA President Steve Largent on Thursday, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler urged the industry to adopt the new unlocking policy within weeks, before the holiday shopping season.
"Enough time has passed, and it is now time for the industry to act voluntarily or for the FCC to regulate," Wheeler said in the letter posted online.
According to Wheeler's letter, the carriers agree that consumers should be able to unlock their devices once their contracts are fulfilled but have not agreed to a policy of notifying customers when their device is eligible for unlocking or automatically unlocking the device when it becomes eligible.
"Absent the consumer's right to be informed about eligibility, any voluntary program would be a hollow shell," Wheeler said in his letter.
The ban on unlocking originates in the U.S. copyright law overseen by the Library of Congress. The White House in March responded to an online petition protesting the law and sided with the thousands who signed it
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ReplyDeleteCell phone unlocking from carrier lock has become legal now the ban is lifted.Two of the reasons provided as justification for unlocking mobile phones are freedom of choice and ease of foreign travel.An unlocked mobile phone can be used with a less expensive carrier or sold to anyone willing to buy it.This has become especially important in recent years as having the newest phone model has become a status symbol for tech-savvy consumers.When traveling abroad, an unlocked phone can be used with a local SIM card to avoid expensive overseas roaming charges or limited network choices. In response to the public outcry about the restrictions on unlocking mobile phones, both the White House and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released statements expressing support for legalizing the practice of unlocking mobile phones. In March of this year, the White House Senior Advisor for the Internet, Innovation and Privacy wrote that ,The White House agree that consumers be able to unlock their cell phones without risking criminal or other penalties.Now So you can unlock your mobile from any GSM sim network by getting the unlocking service by software or by an online provider like Mobile-Unlocker.com
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