Unlocking Your Phone Is Legal Again

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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May 9, 2000
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In case you missed it, a new law went into effect on February 11th requiring all cellphone carriers to unlock user’s phones upon request once the contract has been fulfilled.

This past August, President Barack Obama signed the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act into law, finally making it legal once more to unlock your phone.
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Oh, I had to wait to unlock it? Oops. :D

Nice that the carrier has to do it, though. Stops the stranglehold that the carriers have on the consumer. One step at a time.
 
These days I suspect most people aren't going to keep their phones much beyond their contracts though ... because of the carrier incentives and exclusivity deals it still remains easier to get a new phone when you switch carriers than to try and jump from one to another with the same phone
 
kbrickley said:
These days I suspect most people aren't going to keep their phones much beyond their contracts though ... because of the carrier incentives and exclusivity deals it still remains easier to get a new phone when you switch carriers than to try and jump from one to another with the same phone
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I hope that phones will soon be like the desktop PC. Where we wont have to upgrade/replace them nearly every year to stay ahead of the software requirements for them.

When that time comes and phones are more durable (better glass, stronger cases, etc..) then I can see people staying with the same phone far beyond their contract. That's when this law will be beneficial I think.
 
Nice to see they fixed a law that shouldn't have happened in the first place.
 
Since when was it illegal in the first place? Were cops stopping and frisking people for unlocked phones?
 
unlocking still has stupid requirements even for those people who own their phone outright.

T-mobile has some ridiculous unlocking rules even for phones that are unsubsidized and fully paid for.
 
for instance, if you buy an old t-mobile phone that the previous owner paid off, t-mobile won't unlock it for you.
 
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