Latest news with #phoneunlocking
Phone Arena
3 hours ago
- Phone Arena
T-Mobile updates activation policy, creating difficulties for some users
T-Mobile appears to have made some changes to its activation policy. Users on T-Mobile Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) have discovered that phones locked to T-Mobile's network no longer work with MVNOs. T-Mobile mentions on its website that devices locked to its network will not operate with other companies' networks without first being unlocked. However, until about two years ago, T-Mobile-locked devices used to work with MVNOs who used the company's infrastructure to provide services. That's no longer the caseapparently. Reddit user ken830 complained that the two T-Mobile -locked Motorola Edge (2024) phones they got for their parents to use on T-Mobile MVNOs Mint and Tello didn't work on the MVNOs. This wasn't an issue with their previous locked Samsung phones, which ken830 got for free for T-Mobile through a trade-in deal a few years ago. —ken830, Reddit user, June 2025 This is seemingly not a device-specific issue, as Reddit user loganwachter has revealed that the problem first cropped up around 18 to 24 months back, with many Mint Mobile customers complaining that T-Mobile devices were no longer working on MVNOs. Samsung users were the first to be affected but the policy was soon extended to Google Pixel users as well. —loganwachter, Reddit user, June 2025 T-Mobile locked phones have also stopped working on other T-Mobile MVNOs, such as Simple Mobile. Technically, T-Mobile cannot be blamed here. The company clearly states that devices must meet eligibility criteria before they can be unlocked. However, it appears that the company wasn't enforcing the policy strictly before, especially when it came to MVNOs that relied on its network. The only recourse for those who have found themselves in this situation is to pay off their phones and satisfy other eligibility requirements to unlock their devices and port their number to another carrier. Contacting T-Mobile is another option, but if the company has indeed updated its policy, reaching out to them would be futile. We have asked T-Mobile for comment and will update the article if we hear back. Switch to Total 5G+ Unlimited 3-Month plan or Total 5G Unlimited and get a free iPhone. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Buy at Total Wireless
Phone Arena
23-05-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
Verizon wants the FCC to allow it to renege on a pro-consumer promise it made to the agency
In September 2020, Verizon offered to buy what was then the largest MVNO in the States, Tracfone, for more than $6 billion. To get the deal approved by the FCC, Verizon agreed that once it took control of Tracfone, it would change Tracfone's phone unlocking policy to match Verizon 's. The latter had a 60-day unlocking policy that then-FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wanted Verizon to apply to Tracfone's phones. After all, Tracfone's policy at the time was to unlock handsets only after these devices had been activated for 12 months. Rosenworcel, who then served as Chairwoman of the FCC at the behest of President Joe Biden, wanted all carriers to unlock their customers' phones 60 days after activation. "You bought your phone, you should be able to take it to any provider you want," Rosenworcel said adding that such a change would be "in the best interest of consumers and competition." Last year when President Biden was in office, the FCC unsuccessfully proposed a rule that would force all wireless providers to unlock phones after 60 days. That would have forced AT&T and T-Mobile to be on the same page as Verizon . This change in policy seems unlikely now that Republican Brendan Carr is FCC Chair and the focus is on eliminating regulations in the industry favoring the wireless companies over their customers. Knowing this, Verizon feels like it can use this change to its advantage. This week, Verizon made a formal request to the FCC asking to have the unlocking rule waived "until such time as the Commission decides on an appropriate industry-wide approach for the unlocking of wireless devices." FCC Chairwoman under Biden, Jessica Rosenworcel wanted all wireless providers to unlock phones no longer than 60 days after activation. | Image credit-FCC Trying to prove its point, Verizon said that unlocking phones leads to theft and is bad for customers. Some might say that Verizon is gaslighting its own customers by trying to get them to believe that they would be better off waiting a longer period of time to have their phones unlocked when the truth is that the longer their phone is locked to Verizon , the longer they are unable to switch wireless providers. - Verizon Verizon also complained that after it bought TracFone, there was "a sharp increase in the number of TracFone devices that deactivated before making enough payments for Verizon to recover the subsidy on the device." To make it clear what side it is on, Verizon said that the unlocking rule is "the perfect example of the type of rule that the Commission should eliminate as part of the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) Deregulatory Initiative." Hey, Verizon isn't called "Big Red" for nothing. Verizon says forcing it to unlock phones 60 days after activation is not enough to combat fraud. Instead, it argues that allowing phones to be unlocked after 60 days enables trafficking in phones that are unlocked and are sent illegally to foreign markets. "This is why the industry standard for providers not subject to the Unlocking Rule is a minimum of 6 months or longer," Verizon said.
Android Authority
22-05-2025
- Business
- Android Authority
Verizon wants to lock your phones for 6 months or longer, instead of 60 days
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Verizon has petitioned the FCC to waive its 60-day phone unlocking requirements. The company has proposed waiving the unlocking rule because it encourages bad actors to exploit unlocked devices and harms its business. Verizon pointed out that the industry standard for providers not subject to the 60-day rule is a minimum of six months or longer. Verizon is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to waive rules that require it to unlock mobile phones after 60 days. The carrier has argued that the current policy results in device fraud and international trafficking and puts it at a disadvantage compared to its rivals. In a formal petition dated May 19, 2025, Verizon urged the FCC to waive the unlocking obligation 'until such time as the Commission decides on an appropriate industry-wide approach for the unlocking of wireless devices.' The company claims the current rule encourages bad actors to exploit unlocked devices for profit, often by shipping subsidized phones to foreign markets. Should Verizon be allowed to keep phones locked for more than 60 days? 0 votes 🔓 No: 60 days is fair. I should be able to switch when I want. NaN % ⏳ Maybe: 60 days feels short, but 6 months is too long. NaN % 🔒 Yes: Longer locks help stop fraud and protect the system. NaN % 🤷 Not sure: I need more info on how this affects me. NaN % 'The Unlocking Rule applies only to particular providers, mainly Verizon, and distorts the marketplace in a critical US industry,' the petition states. 'The rule has resulted in unintended consequences that harm consumers, competition, and Verizon, while propping up international criminal organizations that profit from fraud,' it adds. Verizon is subject to stricter unlocking requirements than other carriers due to the previous agreements it made in exchange for regulatory benefits. In 2008, the carrier committed to unlocking phones using its 700MHz spectrum, and in 2021, it agreed to apply a 60-day unlock window as a condition of its acquisition of prepaid carrier TracFone. What is Verizon proposing? Verizon is now calling the unlocking rules outdated and claiming that a 60-day lock is no longer sufficient. 'Even a lock of 60 days does not deter device fraud—a huge and growing problem in the United States,' Verizon writes, adding that 'the industry standard for providers not subject to the Unlocking Rule is a minimum of six months or longer.' Verizon's request to the FCC coincides with Commissioner Brendan Carr's ongoing 'Delete, Delete, Delete' initiative, which aims to eliminate outdated telecom rules. Extended lock-in periods could trap consumers with carriers they no longer want. While Verizon's petition focuses on fighting fraud and making unlocking practices standard across carriers, extended lock-in periods could trap consumers with carriers they no longer want. In fact, longer lock-ins could limit competition in the industry, never mind consumer choice. Under a six-month lock, a customer experiencing poor service would be unable to switch providers without buying a new device or waiting months or even years to unlock their phone. The current 60-day unlocking rule emerged as a consumer protection initiative under former FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. In 2024, she proposed expanding the rule to all major carriers, saying, 'You bought your phone, you should be able to take it to any provider you want.' However, the Commission's focus has shifted with shifting political winds, and the proposed rule hasn't moved forward. The FCC has not yet responded to Verizon's waiver request.
