Verizon will lock phones to prevent theft

Verizon Wireless will soon begin locking the phones it sells to customers, a move that will prevent the phones from being activated on any other carrier's network. It's important to note that the company is taking this measure to deter theft that occurs before customers purchase phones, and that Verizon will unlock the phones for customers after they're purchased.

While Verizon phones are unlocked out of the box, other carriers require that you both pay off your phone and wait a certain amount of time before they'll unlock your phone for use on another network. Verizon says that its unique unlocking policy makes its phones targets for thieves, but it didn't elaborate further on that claim.

An interesting fact is that Verizon isn't allowed to lock phones to its network because of open access requirements that are specific to the "C Block" 700MHz wireless spectrum that Verizon purchased in 2008 and uses for its 4G LTE network. Since then, Verizon has generally had more customer-friendly unlocking policies than other carriers.

"This change does not impact the spirit of that agreement as it is designed to deter theft by those who engage in identity theft or other fraud," a Verizon spokesperson said. "It is not inconsistent with our obligations under the C Block."

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