I am glad this subject has been settled. I travel overseas quite frequently. Having an unlocked phone enables me to use SIM cards for local numbers in the countries I visit, instead of having to pay exorbitant international roaming prices for using my American phone number overseas. I was very disappointed when the library of congress decision came out in 2013. I thought it was truly illogical and inadequate, since my carrier did not invent the iOS system I have on my iPhone and saw no digital copyrights to be protected. To me it was only a bias decision to consolidate the big corporation's rights of monopoly, and screw up the consumers. Cheers, Cris
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mike Arrigo Sent: Friday, February 13, 2015 10:18 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: U.S. Carriers, You'll Have to Unlock Those Phones This was definitely a long time coming, and I'm glad it's happened. For me at least, I think I still will continue to purchase unlocked devices out of the box, they cost a bit more but well worth it. Original message: > Hello All, > I am delighted to post the following cNet News article for your > consideration. > The URL to the original article is at the bottom of the text. > Mark > U.S. carriers, you'll have to unlock those phones > Starting now, it will be much easier for people to jump from one > carrier to another and take their smartphone with them. > by Don Reisinger > The days of carriers locking down devices to keep customers in place > are officially dead. > Starting now, all US carriers must comply with requests from postpaid > and prepaid customers to unlock their devices, as long as certain > parameters are met. The industry group CTIA had committed last year to > have all wireless carriers adhering to the regulation by February 11, 2015. > The move follows from President Obama last year signing into law the > "Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act," which > overruled a controversial 2012 decision by the Library of Congress. > The debate over phone unlocking has come a long way in just a few > short years. Unlocking a phone allows owners to put the device on > whatever carrier network they choose. For years, carriers have locked > down devices, allowing them only to connect to their own networks. The > move was designed to keep customers close and not see them stray to other > carriers. > "We are pleased the FCC acknowledged the participating wireless > carriers met the deadlines to unlock their customers' devices per the > Consumer Code for Wireless Service," said Scott Bergmann, the CTIA's > vice president for regulatory affairs, in a statement. "We also remind > consumers that an unlocked device does not necessarily mean an > interoperable one since different carriers use different technologies and > spectrum bands." > For customers, the inability to unlock handsets had been a nuisance. > Many consumers, seeking better network coverage or data plan pricing, > have wanted to be able to move to a different network without having > to buy a new device. An unlocked handset would allow that interchange > between, say, AT&T and T-Mobile networks. Locked devices force > customers to stick with their carrier networks and if they decide to > switch, to buy a new device on the other carrier. > In 2013, the issue of unlocking hitting a tipping point when the > Libary of Congress held that the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act > (DMCA) banned American consumers from unlocking their devices without > the consent of their carriers. Critics took issue with the ruling, > which actually came down in > 2012 but went into effect in 2013. Then in August 2014 came the > "Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act," which > effectively made unlocking legal again. > Under the CTIA's Consumer Code for Wireless Service that went into > effect Wednesday, carriers will have no choice but to remove locks on > devices owned by both postpaid and prepaid wireless users. > On the postpaid side, carriers must unlock devices after a customer in > good standing has fulfilled "postpaid service contract, device > financing plan, or payment of applicable early termination fee." In > other words, those subscribers who get smartphones for less by paying > a subsidy at the beginning and paying in full over the life of a > contract, must have satisfied that payment covenant before they can be > allowed to unlock their device. > On the prepaid side, things are bit simpler: carriers must, upon > request, unlock a handset "no later than one year after initial activation." > All unlocking, regardless of the type of customer, must be completed > within two days of a request, and carriers are now required to inform > consumers of their policies. > "Carriers that lock devices will clearly notify customers that their > devices are eligible for unlocking at the time when their devices are > eligible for unlocking or automatically unlock devices remotely when > devices are eligible for unlocking, without additional fee," the code > reads. "Carriers reserve the right to charge > non-customers/non-former-customers with a reasonable fee for unlocking > requests. Notice to prepaid customers may occur at point of sale, at > the time of eligibility, or through a clear and concise statement of policy > on the carrier's website." > http://www.cnet.com/news/new-regulation-requires-us-carriers-to-unlock > -user- > phones/?tag=nl.e703&s_cid=e703&ttag=e703&ftag=CAD090e536 > -- > The following information is important for all members of the viphone > list. All new members to the this list are moderated by default. 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