- 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.