U.S NTIA Petitions FCC To Require Carriers To Unlock Handsets For Free

Android Central reports that the U.S National Telecommunications and Information Administration (the NTIA) has petitioned the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to tell U.S network carriers that they should be required to unlock customer smartphones. Currently handsets in the USA are often locked by carriers and there have been disputes between lawmakers over whether unlocking smartphones should be legal or not, a ruling last year in October made it illegal. The NTIA believes it should and that network carriers should do it free of charge with no strings attached.

“Americans should be able to use their mobile devices on whatever networks they choose and have their devices unlocked without hassle.” Said NTIA administrator Lawrence E Strickling.

The NTIA believes that the burden of unlocking phones should be placed on network carriers, not consumers, and that the process should be “expeditious and transparent.”  The NTIA claims carriers should have plenty of mechanisms to keep customers on their networks without keeping them locked in via a locked handset.

“The petition requests that the FCC immediately initiate the process of setting rules that protect Americans’ investments in mobile devices by allowing them to use their equipment with any compatible network.”

The FCC will have to implement a strong legal framework for this to succeed because carriers have been known to ignore FCC requests and requirements in the past.

Image courtesy of GSMNation.com