Wireless carriers in the U.S. have been asked to let consumers unlock their cellphones or face the wrath of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
During his "first week on the job," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has asked CTIA to move swiftly in unlocking phones for consumers.
On Thursday, November 14, Wheeler formalized his outlook in a letter to Steve Largent, president and CEO of CTIA. The trade group represents U.S. wireless carriers, including Verizon and AT&T.
"We are anxious to work with you and your members to resolve this matter expeditiously.Enough time has passed, and it is now time for the industry to act voluntarily or for the FCC toregulate. Let's set a goal of including the full unlocking rights policy in the CTIA ConsumerCode before the December holiday season," Wheeler said. "It is now time for the industry to act voluntarily or for the FCC to regulate."
An unlocked phone can be used by the customer with any wireless carrier of their choice. A ruling by the Librarian of Congress earlier this year barred consumers from unlocking their handsets.
Usually, carriers let customers unlock their phones when the contract is over. However, because of the ban, customers who travel overseas face problems as they cannot use a locked phone with a local SIM and end up paying hefty roaming charges.
Scott Bergmann, the CTIA VP of regulatory affairs responded in an emailed statement and said that the group is in favor of the unlocking bill.
"We look forward to continuing discussions under Chairman Wheeler's leadership and to ensuring consumers continue to benefit from the world-leading range of competitive devices and offerings. Today's US consumers have a wide variety of unlocked devices and liberal carrier unlocking policies available to them. CTIA also continues to advocate for the passage of 'The Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act' (H.R. 1123), which would address consumer confusion about unlocking as a result of the 2012 decision of the Librarian of Congress. While CTIA supports giving consumers a robust set of options, it is important for consumers to note that an unlocked phone doesn't necessarily mean an interoperable phone, given the technological and engineering realities of wireless networks," Bergmann said.
