Mobile operators in the UK will be restricted from selling smartphones locked to their networks, according to the regulator Ofcom. The rule will be effective immediately in December 2021 and affect companies that still sell locked handsets specifically EE, Tesco Mobile, and Vodaphone. It affects 02, Sky, Three, and Virgin, as those operates already only sell.
“We know that lots of people can be put off from switching because their handset is locked,” said Ofcom connectivity director Selina Chadha. “So we’re banning mobile companies from selling locked phones, which will save people time, money, and effort — and help them unlock better deals.”
Presently, it costs about £10 ($13) to unlock a smartphone, and Ofcom found that the process often doesn’t work. It also noted that some users don’t even know their phones are locked, so they lose service completely when they try to switch.
The company first announced that it would ban a locked smartphone in December 2019, a year after the EU added a similar measure to the European Electronic Communications Code. The UK government promised it would adhere to EU telecom rules despite the Brexit transition. Both Vodafone and EE have already responded to the Ofcom announcement, saying they’ll implement the changes once they become law.
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