Wheeler Coaxes Wireless Companies to Adopt Cell Phone Unlocking
Deal is an early win for new FCC chairman
Major wireless carriers have agreed to make it easier for consumers to unlock their mobile devices to change providers.
The set of voluntary principles unveiled by AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon Wireless, came after new Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler, a former lobbyist for the wireless industry, threatened regulation if a deal couldn't be reached.
While Wheeler struggles to justify his insistence on starting a controversial rulemaking that could pave the way for in-flight cell phone calls, the deal with the wireless industry is a major victory.
The new code sets ground rules for carriers to notify consumers when their devices are eligible for unlocking and unlock devices for customers in good standing.
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