Verizon Wireless currently stocks unlocked smartphones that can be used on any other carrier in the U.S. However, last year, it emerged that Verizon had plans to introduce a policy that would allow the carrier to lock new phones to their network for the first 60 days in the market, essentially denying owners of these devices the option to use them on another carrier of their choice.
The Big Red quickly refuted these claims, terming them as “inaccurate”, but as it turns out, this policy is what the carrier has been planning all along.
According to a blog post published by Verizon, the carrier is now requesting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allow it SIM-lock new phones for a period of 60 days in a bid to protect consumers from identity theft and fraud. The carrier wants the FCC to look over the 2007 spectrum contract that contains a clause barring it from locking smartphones for whatever reason.
If the FCC agrees to this request, it means Verizon smartphones will remain strictly on the carrier’s network for the first 60 days of use, after which one can use it on any other network in the country. This isn’t something those who pay for their devices outright will relish, but it looks like that’s gonna be the case, considering the history the current FCC boss has with the Big Red.
For those who buy through installments, the phone will remain locked to Verizon until it’s paid off in full. But then again, doesn’t the said 2007 clause bar Verizon from locking smartphones for whatever reason?
Well, it remains to be seen what the FCC has to say about this request from Verizon. But as already mentioned, the two have some form of history that many expect to play a major role in the final decision.
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