FCC Ends Verizon-Only Unlock Rule, Moves Carriers Toward Uniform Policy
TL;DR
FCC waives Verizon's separate 60-day unlock rule, aligning its policy with CTIA rules and rivals: postpaid phones unlock after payoff; prepaid devices must unlock within up to a year (AT&T and T-Mobile apply different prepaid timelines). The move targets handset fraud tied to Verizon's TracFone deal; consumers can also buy unlocked devices directly from manufacturers to avoid carrier restrictions.
- FCC Unties Verizon From 60-Day Phone-Unlocking Rule PCMag
- Verizon to stop automatic unlocking of phones as FCC ends 60-day unlock rule Ars Technica
- FCC revises Verizon phone unlocking rules after significant fraud issues Reuters
- Verizon no longer needs to unlock phones after 60 days, thanks to FCC 9to5Google
- Verizon wins FCC waiver on unlocked phones Fierce Network
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