The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants to make it easier for consumers to unlock their phones from their carriers, proposing that all devices be unlockable after just 60 days of purchase. How that fits in with current plans and phone-buying trends, however, is something the agency hopes to learn before putting such a rule into effect.
Cell phones purchased from a carrier are usually locked to that carrier until the contract expires or the phone is paid for. But despite improvements to the process over the years (unlocking was completely illegal not that long ago), it’s still not entirely clear to all consumers when and how they can unlock their phones and move them to the carrier (or country) of their choice.
To be clear, it’s not about unlocking your phone with your face, fingerprint, or password, but changing settings in its software to allow it to work with different mobile networks.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, or NPRM, In a press release on Thursday. “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 have stuck with practices that prevent you from making that choice,” she wrote. “That is why we are proposing clear rules for mobile phone unlocking nationwide.”
Specifically, the statement says that carriers will simply have to provide unlocking services 60 days after activation. It’s a welcome standard, but it could be at odds with today’s mobile and wireless markets.
For example, although the dreaded two-year contract is no longer imposed on most consumers, many still choose this contract to lock in the price and gain other benefits. Perhaps most importantly, the phones themselves are often paid for in installment plans: you get a phone for “free” and then pay for it over the next few years.
The NPRM is the FCC’s rulemaking phase where it has a draft rule but has yet to solicit public comment. On July 18, the agency will publish the full document and open comments on the issues above. You can be sure there will be some screaming from cell phone providers!
Because we don’t know the details of the proposed rule, we can’t say for certain how it will blend in with common pay-over-time details. But unlocking a phone doesn’t relieve someone from having to pay for the device – they can simply use it on other networks if they want. If a telecom company allows you to buy a phone from them directly but restricts it to bands for six months or a year out of sheer greed, this could provide you with an early exit.
As Rosenworcel said, the goal of this rule is to provide consistency and transparency: a simple national rule from regulators that sets a reasonable limit on how and whether carriers can lock devices. We’ll know more in July when the new rules are published in full.