Why You Can Now Unlock Your Smartphone Without a Fight

LDProd/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — It’s now a bit easier to get a mobile carrier to unlock your smartphone, thanks to a voluntary agreement that seven major carriers have honored with the Federal Communications Commission.

The mobile providers that have pledged to adhere to the code of conduct are AT&T, Bluegrass Cellular, Cellcom, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon, according to the code of conduct on the website of the industry trade group CTIA-The Wireless Association.

While the carriers don’t want customers to leave, the clearer unlocking policy, including the promise to have a response within two business days, enables consumers to have more choice if they want to switch networks.

Under the terms the carriers agreed to, they will unlock a customer’s device if their contract has been met and their account is in good standing. Customers will be clearly notified when their devices are eligible to be unlocked if they are not already.

“Additionally, your wireless provider will post on its website a clear, concise, and easily found policy on mobile wireless device unlocking,” the FCC said in a blog post Wednesday.

For prepaid smartphones, the carriers will honor a request “no later than one year after initial activation, consistent with reasonable time and usage requirements,” the FCC said.

While the policy makes it slightly easier for customers to have more choice, it’s not entirely uniform or utopian. Each carrier’s procedure for unlocking a smartphone differs.

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