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

submitted 4 months ago by ForgottenFlux@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

65 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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[–] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 60 points 4 months ago (2 children)

OK, now ban bootloader locking next.

[–] sunzu@kbin.run 3 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Don't Sammy do and apple do it... Not even carriers?

[–] Lojcs@lemm.ee 12 points 4 months ago

Pretty sure Samsung does it to appease carriers since they sell unlocked snapdragon variants elsewhere

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 5 points 4 months ago

If you buy a phone from Verizon its perma locked for no reason

[–] dinckelman@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago

For quite a long time now, it's been the case that if your vendor makes this hard as is, a carrier on top of that will make it considerably worse. As an example, take a look at older Samsung devices, that all needed special-tailored roms for each carrier variant

[–] brb@sh.itjust.works 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It's one command to unlock so what's the point?

[–] BigFatNips@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 months ago

...on OEM unlocked devices that you buy upfront and pay full price for. Buy one second hand? Fuck you. Get one through a carrier? Fuck you. Get a gift from a family member who has upgraded? You guessed it, fuck you.