NTIA to FCC: Tighten 60-Day Mobile Phone Unlocking Plan

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2024 – Consumers should not have to wait 60 days or more to gain full control over their iPhone or Android-powered handset, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a key communications policy advisor to the White House.

In its latest filing to the Federal Communications Commission, signed by attorney Diana Heyd, NTIA urged the FCC to implement stricter handset unlocking policies than the proposed 60-day timeframe, advocating for making the waiting period as brief as possible.

“We urge the FCC to explore ways to further reduce the wait wherever possible, such as when the fraud risk is low, or when a customer in good standing makes an unlocking request,” NTIA’s filing said, though it did not propose a specific timeframe.