Dish weighs in on Verizon's FCC petition to extend phone locking, and I agree

Android Authority

5 days ago

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Verizon is seeking FCC approval to end its 60-day phone unlocking rule and set its own policy, sparking industry debate.
Dish (Boost Mobile's parent) supports a single national unlocking standard, while seven state attorneys general say Verizon should decide its own policy.
A change could reduce the number of unlocked devices in the resale market and affect all carriers, not just Verizon users.
Verizon is one of the only major carriers that unlocks mobile phones after 60 days, which means it not only makes it easier to switch to another carrier but also leaves you the option of using your phone's eSIM to add a secondary service with another provider. To little surprise, it doesn't do this out of the goodness of its heart. In fact, it may soon extend this unlock period to whatever it sees fit.
Back in May, the carrier petitioned the FCC asking for it to waive the 60-day unlocking requirements and let it set its own policies similar to other carriers. As is required, the FCC opened up the request for comments initially, though that window has since closed. Curious how other carriers feel about Verizon's request? As first reported by Chris Price via Reddit, it seems there was a wide range of responses. While T-Mobile and AT&T have kept quiet, Dish was the one national carrier that officially submitted a comment to the FCC.
In short, the parent behind Boost Mobile said it isn't against replacing the current Verizon policy, but that there should be one national unlock policy that uniformly applies to all carriers with no exceptions. On the flipside, seven state attorney generals reportedly commented, saying Verizon should have the power to control how long your phone is kept locked.
I have to say, I mostly agree with Dish. While I'd love to see Verizon keep its current policy, the current administration's FCC tends to vote in favor of big business, and so change is likely coming no matter what. Though the carrier didn't specify how long the new policy should be, the idea of it applying uniformly means that no carrier is unfairly disadvantaged here.
For what it's worth, Dish currently has a one-year locking policy on most of its prepaid devices, and so it's throwing out an idea that could potentially negatively impact it as well. After all, it's very possible the new locked period could be sooner than its current policy.
Wondering why Verizon had a 60-day policy enforced on it in the first place? Years ago, the FCC and Verizon came to the current 60-day unlocking policy agreement when Verizon acquired 700MHz spectrum in 2007, and the deal was reaffirmed during the acquisition of Tracfone in 2021.
Why does the lock policy matter?
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
As much as I don't personally feel sorry for any major corporation if I'm truly honest, I can see why Verizon would feel that its 60-day unlock policy feels unfair in the current market. When it first agreed to these FCC stipulations, it was a player on the rise and a clear leader in the mobile space. These days, T-Mobile has taken some of its thunder, and so it probably feels it needs all the help it can get in retaining customers.
I personally feel like an extended period of 3 to 6 months is perfectly reasonable. That said, the wording of this petition seems to have very little in the way of protections when it comes to how long Verizon would be able to lock its devices.
While Verizon likely wouldn't risk locking its phones indefinitely, the carrier recently reported its second quarter 2025 results, and it has bled another 51,000 customers. These kinds of actions could certainly make it more likely to extend its policy for as long as it can get away with it without major backlash, as it would ensure customers stay for longer.
Even if you're not on Verizon, this change could affect you as it could have major impacts on the unlocked market, possibly resulting in fewer unlocked options in the second-hand market and driving up prices for unlocked phones as demand rises for those who don't want a phone locked to just one carrier. This is especially true if there's no firm limit in place.
Should the FCC change Verizon's unlocking policy?
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Yes, but only if it's uniform across all carriers.
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Yes, it's a private company and they can do what they want.
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Yes, but with clear limitations and guidelines.
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No and in fact all the carriers should be forced to 60-day unlocks.
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No, it should stay the same.
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Other (Tell us in comments)
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The FCC is set to vote on the issue on July 24, but in light of the flurry of comments it received, the FCC is reportedly giving folks a chance to respond to the latest comments around the petition. While the petition is typically aimed more at businesses and others, it's open to anyone. To submit your own thoughts, you'll need to go to the ECFS Express Comment System and in the Proceedings/docket number field add 24-186 and 21-112. From there, you can give a response to how you feel about these groups that have commented and where you stand. You can find more details on how to submit via Reddit.
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