Verizon Wants FCC to Change Network Lock-In Rules, Dish Says Not Yet

If you buy a new carrier-locked smartphone, you must stick to the network provider for the first 60 days. Verizon also follows similar network lock-in rules. However, it had recently submitted a request to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to remove the current network lock-in rules. It wants the FCC to ease up on them.

Verizon submits petition to FCC requesting change in network lock-in rules

Back in 2008, when Verizon got the license to use 700 MHz spectrum, it agreed to follow the 60-day network lock-in rule. It again agreed to the rule in 2021. But now, Verizon has changed its stance. The firm believes that the policy doesn’t have any significant impact on smartphone trafficking, and the fraud is still increasing.

Verizon further says that this network lock-in rule hurts the smartphone companies. It even believes that the policy makes the cost of smartphones go up. And therefore, it has submitted a petition to the FCC asking the authority to ease up on the current network laws. It says that if the rule is removed, smartphones will become more affordable. And that it can provide more discounts to the consumers.

While major smartphone carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile have not yet commented on the petition. Dish Mobile’s parent company says that it is not against Verizon’s petition to change the current network lock-in rules. But it also wants the FCC to frame a national policy that covers all the telecom operators under one single rule. This will promote fairness so that no one gets any advantage.

Consumers, on the other hand, have expressed their disagreement with the petition. It believes that the petition or the change request is anti-consumer. One of the former consumers of Verizon has said that lock-in already prevents consumers from switching to other telecom networks if prices are hiked.