T-Mobile and AT&T say U.S. regulators should scrap plan to require phones to be unlocked within 60 days of activation, saying locking phones on a carrier’s network helps deliver cheaper phones to consumers . “If the Commission imposes a uniform unlocking policy, consumers, not providers, stand to lose the most,” T-Mobile wrote in an Oct. 17 filing with the Federal Communications Commission.

The proposed rule has support from consumer advocacy groups who say it will give users more choices and lower their costs. T-Mobile has been criticized for locking phones for up to a year, making it impossible to use a phone on a rival’s network. T-Mobile says that with a 60-day unlock rule, “consumers risk losing access to the benefits of free or heavily subsidized phones because the proposal would force carriers to reduce the range of their most expensive phone offerings.” interesting.”

If the proposed rule is adopted, “T-Mobile estimates that its prepaid customers, for example, would see subsidies reduced by 40 to 70 percent for its low- and high-end devices, such as the Moto G, Samsung A15 and iPhone 12,” the operator said. “A mandate to unlock phones would also leave providers with no choice but to limit their phone offerings to cheaper and often less capable phones.”

T-Mobile and other carriers are responding to a call for public comment that began after the FCC approved a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in a 5-0 vote. The FCC is proposing to “require that all mobile wireless service providers unlock handsets 60 days after a consumer’s handset is activated with the provider, unless during the 60-day period the service provider determines that the handset was purchased through fraud . »

When the FCC proposed the 60-day unlock rule in July 2024, the agency criticized T-Mobile for locking prepaid phones for a year. The NPRM pointed out that “T-Mobile recently increased the lock-in period for one of its brands, Metro by T-Mobile, from 180 days to 365 days.”

T-Mobile’s policy states that the carrier will only unlock mobile devices on prepaid plans if “at least 365 days… have passed since the device was activated on the T-Mobile network.”

“You bought your phone, you should be able to take it to any carrier you want,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said when the FCC proposed the rule. “Some providers already work this way. Others don’t. In fact, some have recently increased the time their customers wait until they can unlock their device by up to 100 percent.”

T-Mobile’s lockout policy is more onerous

T-Mobile executives, who also say the FCC does not have the authority to impose the proposed rule, met with FCC officials last week to express their concerns.

“T-Mobile is passionate about winning customers for life and has explained how its phone unlocking policies greatly benefit our customers,” the carrier said in its post-meeting filing. “Our policies enable us to provide access to mobile broadband over a nationwide 5G network. via free or heavily discounted handsets off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. T-Mobile’s unlock policies are transparent and there is absolutely no evidence of consumer harm arising from these policies. T-Mobile’s current unlock policies also help T-Mobile combat handset theft and fraud by sophisticated international criminal organizations. »