Verizon Can Now Unlock Phones Faster, FCC Approves
▼ Summary
– The FCC has granted Verizon a waiver, allowing it to keep phones locked to its network for longer than the previous 60-day unlocking requirement.
– Verizon must now follow CTIA guidelines, which state postpaid phones should only be unlocked after a contract ends, the device is paid off, or an early termination fee is paid.
– The change occurred after Verizon argued the old rule benefited fraudsters and caused the company significant financial losses annually.
– As a result, customers activating a phone with Verizon may now have to wait longer before they can switch to another carrier.
– This new policy will take effect shortly and remain until the FCC decides on an industry-wide standard for phone unlocking.
Verizon customers may now face longer waiting periods to unlock their phones and switch carriers, following a recent regulatory decision. The Federal Communications Commission has granted the wireless provider a waiver from its previous 60-day unlocking mandate. This shift aligns Verizon’s policy with the broader, more flexible guidelines established by the CTIA, the industry’s trade association.
Under the new framework, Verizon will adhere to the CTIA’s code. For postpaid customers, this typically means a phone will be unlocked only after the service contract concludes, the device is fully paid off, or an early termination fee is settled. For prepaid devices, the standard suggests unlocking “no later than one year after initial activation.” This represents a significant extension from the former two-month rule.
The carrier petitioned for this change last year, contending that the shorter unlocking window inadvertently aided criminal activity. Verizon argued that the policy made its handsets a specific target for fraudsters. The original 60-day requirement was instituted by the FCC over a decade ago as a condition for Verizon’s acquisition of valuable 700Mhz spectrum. The rule was later applied to Tracfone following Verizon’s purchase of that prepaid brand.
Regulatory documents note that criminal networks have exploited the quicker unlocking timeline. The FCC’s filing states that the old rules resulted in substantial financial losses for Verizon annually, funds the company claims could have been redirected toward network improvements or consumer benefits.
With the waiver now in effect, the immediate impact is clear: consumers activating a new line with Verizon should expect a longer lock-in period. The updated policy took effect shortly after the FCC’s order was released. It will remain until the commission determines a suitable, industry-wide standard for handset unlocking, leaving the long-term regulatory landscape for device freedom still uncertain.
(Source: The Verge)
