Cell phone unlocking will once again become legal in the US. Earlier on Friday, President Obama signed the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act.
This means that users can finally unlock their devices and use it on any carrier they wish to via third-party companies. In short, you have the legal right to unlock your device.
“Today, President Obama will sign into law the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, and in doing so, will achieve a rare trifecta: a win for American consumers, a win for wireless competition, and an example of democracy at its best — bipartisan congressional action in direct response to a call to action from the American people,” according to a post on The White House blog.
If you don’t know, the smartphones in the US are usually locked to the carrier from where they are purchased. Despite the support for other carrier bands and frequencies, the smartphone doesn’t work on other networks. Even if you travel, the smartphone wouldn’t work on other international carriers either. However, beginning today, you can legally unlock your device.
“The effort began with a digital petition on the White House’s We the People site, an online platform where citizens can offer ideas for the Administration to take action on important issues facing our country,” the blog post says. “The petition drew an extraordinary response, with more than 114,000 citizens making their voices heard. And within two weeks, the White House answered with a call to action, laying out steps the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), industry, and Congress could take to ensure copyright law would not undermine wireless competition.”
Source: White House, BGR
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