NTIA petitions FCC to legalize cell phone unlocking

Yesterday, The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) filed a petition that urges the FCC to make a ruling requiring carriers to unlock phones and tablets at their customer's request, giving them the freedom to move to another network.

One of the reasons many carriers lock phones is to keep customers from switching, but the NTIA argues that carriers already have plenty of levers to keep customers on board, writing that carriers "effectively prevent consumers from subverting that [contract] model through long-term service contracts, enforced by penalties or fees for early termination."

"Americans should be able to use their mobile devices on whatever networks they choose and have their devices unlocked without hassle," said Lawrence Strickling, assistant secretary of the NTIA.

The CTIA, which represents wireless carriers, issued a statement in response. It raised questions about the wisdom of unlocking cell phones without permission. The concern was that "it can facilitate the sale of stolen smartphones."

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