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

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

105 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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[–] [email protected] 91 points 3 months ago (2 children)

OK, now ban bootloader locking next.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I sent the FTC a letter asking them to look into the practices of bootloader locking. They did they they would consider looking into it

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

How did you go about doing that? I wanted to ask them about being able to replace the primary bootloader, including signing keys for any device that a user has paid for, which is a step above bootloader unlocking.

Kind of like installing coreboot or libreboot on a PC/laptop.

[–] brb 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] BigFatNips 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

...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.

[–] brb 1 points 3 months ago

I wasn't aware that anything can block unlocking it. Learned something new thanks