Today, Public Knowledge joined 13 other public interest, consumer advocacy, and civil liberties groups in a letter urging Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to adopt the agency’s proposed cell phone unlocking requirement. The groups – including Consumer Reports, Free Press, National Consumer Law Center, National Digital Inclusion Alliance, and more – argue that doing so would increase consumer choice, lower costs, and improve competition in the wireless marketplace.
The following is an excerpt from the letter:
“[We] write to support the FCC’s proposed rule that would require all mobile wireless service providers to automatically unlock consumer handsets no more than 60 days after activation.
“Wireless users are subject to unnecessary restrictions in the form of locked devices, which tie them to their service providers even when better options may be available. Handset locking practices limit consumer freedom and lessen competition by creating an artificial technological barrier to switching providers. The 60-day automatic unlocking requirement proposed by the FCC is a simple solution to these issues. It balances the need to allow wireless providers to detect and deter fraud with the imperative to protect consumer choice.
“It is important that device unlocking is truly automatic – that is, unlocked after the requisite time period without any additional actions of the consumer – to avoid incurring additional delays. Removing this barrier to switching will make the standard simple for consumers and encourage providers to compete more vigorously on mobile service price, quality, and innovation.
“Moreover, unlocking devices will improve transparency in the marketplace. A uniform unlocking standard will eliminate the confusing and inconsistent policies currently used by various providers. Consumers deserve clear and consistent rules regarding when their devices can be unlocked, and the proposed rule offers that clarity.
“There is also an environmental and social benefit to this rule. [This] proposed rule will expand the pool of devices available on the secondary market, reducing costs for [low-income] consumers and contributing to environmental sustainability by extending the life of these devices.
“Finally, the Commission should recognize the specific benefits this proposal will have for historically underserved communities. Households that rely on mobile-only internet service, which includes a significant percentage of communities of color, are disproportionately affected by handset locking. For these households, the ability to switch providers without purchasing new devices is crucial for maintaining access to affordable communications services.”
You may view the letter for more information. You may also view our recent comments filed with the FCC in support of this item as well as our blog post, “Locked Phone, World of Issues: The Push for Cell Phone Unlocking,” to learn more about how locked devices make it harder to use the phones we own in the ways that we want.
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.