FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed new rules requiring operators to unlock customers’ phones within 60 days of activation, aiming to facilitate easier switching between providers.
Currently, mobile phones are typically locked to service providers’ networks until subscribers complete their contracts or pay off the device costs.
Rosenworcel emphasized that the new rules would “establish a clear and uniform set of requirements for all mobile service providers” to unlock phones. She stated, “Real competition benefits from transparency and consistency. That is why we are proposing clear, nationwide mobile phone unlocking rules.”
The FCC noted that unlocking phones could enhance consumer choice and competition in the wireless service provider market. However, the proposed rules are expected to face significant opposition from operators.
Commissioners are set to vote on the proposal to unlock phones at a meeting on July 18. If approved, the FCC will then seek public comments on the rules, including whether the unlocking requirement should apply to existing or future tariffs.
The FCC is also soliciting feedback on the impact of a 60-day unlocking requirement on operators’ incentives to offer discounted phones. Additionally, they aim to determine “whether an unlocking requirement would benefit smaller providers, new entrants, and resellers by increasing the number of phones available on the secondary market.”
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