- The UK regulator has banned the practice of networks selling locked phones.
- The change will take effect from December 2021.
Locked smartphones are one of the most annoying trends in the industry as operators prevent consumers from using their phones on other networks. Now the British regulator has announced that it will exclude networks from the sale of blocked devices.
The change was announced by the communications authority Ofcom and will take effect from December 2021 BBC reported (h / t: Android Central). This new change will reportedly affect EE, Vodafone and Tesco Mobile. BBC adds that O2, Sky, Three and Virgin are already selling unlocked phones.
“We know that a lot of people can be prevented from switching because their handset is locked. That’s why we’re banning cell phone companies from selling locked phones, which saves people time, money and effort – and helps them unlock better deals, ”Ofcom Connectivity Director Selina Chadha said on the regulator’s website.
Continue reading: Unlocked Phones – The Pains and Pleasures
Operators appear to have claimed in the past that locked phones prevent theft and fraud. However, it is difficult not to see this as an attempt to simply make it harder for people to leave a network. Operators often also subsidize the cost of contracted equipment, so locking the phone will likely give networks a chance to recoup that money.
Ofcom notes that it usually costs around $ 10 to unlock a phone, but added that half of all people who try to do this have problems. These obstacles include waiting a long time to receive the code required to unlock the phone and the code just won’t work.
The watchdog also claimed that some consumers are unaware that their phones are network locked, resulting in loss of service / coverage if they try to switch to another operator.