FCC Proposes Rule to Unlock All Phones After 60 Days
But can this new rule navigate the maze of current phone plans?
- FCC proposes unlocking all phones 60 days after purchase.
- Current phone plans and buying trends might complicate this rule.
- FCC seeks public feedback before finalizing the rule.
- The rule aims for nationwide consistency and transparency.
Unlocking the Mobile Maze
The FCC is trying to make it easier for consumers to unlock their phones from carriers, suggesting that all devices must be unlockable just 60 days after purchase. This could be a significant change, but how it will fit with existing phone plans and buying trends is yet to be seen. The agency is eager to hear from the public before enforcing such a rule.
Most mobile phones bought from carriers are locked until either the contract ends or the phone is fully paid off. Although the unlocking process has improved over the years (it was illegal not too long ago), many consumers still find it unclear when and how they can unlock their phones to use with a different carrier or in another country.
To clarify, this isn’t about using facial recognition, fingerprints, or passwords to unlock your phone. It’s about changing software settings to enable the phone to work with different mobile networks.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in a press release. “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,” she stated. “That is why we are proposing clear, nationwide mobile phone unlocking rules.”
Specifically, the proposal states that carriers would need to provide unlocking services 60 days after activation. While this is a welcome change, it may conflict with current phone and wireless markets.
Although two-year contracts are mostly a thing of the past, many consumers still choose them to secure prices and benefits. More importantly, phones are often paid for through installment plans: you get a phone for “free” and then pay it off over the next few years.
The NPRM is the phase of FCC rulemaking where it has a draft rule but hasn’t yet gathered public feedback. On July 18, the agency will publish the full document and open it up for public commentary on these issues. Expect some loud protests from mobile providers!
Without knowing the specifics of the proposed rule, it’s hard to predict how it will mesh with these common pay-over-time plans. However, unlocking a phone doesn’t exempt the buyer from paying it off — it simply allows them to use it on other networks. If a carrier sells you a phone but locks it to their bands for six months or a year out of sheer greed, this rule would provide an early escape route.
As Rosenworcel mentioned, the goal of the rule is to ensure consistency and transparency: a straightforward national rule from regulators that sets a reasonable limit on how and whether carriers can lock down devices. We’ll learn more in July when the full NPRM is released.
