UK Ban on Sale of Locked Handsets to Come into Effect December 2021
British telecoms regulator Ofcom has confirmed it is to ban mobile phone operators from selling locked handsets in order to make switching networks easier for customers (via Sky News).
/article-new/2019/12/ofcome-uk-telecoms-regulator.jpg?lossy)
The watchdog says the current rules hurt some consumers because locked handsets can't be used on other mobile networks until the owner pays for them to be unlocked – usually around £10.
Ofcom, which first floated the idea in December last year, says the new rule will be implemented from December 2021 to make switching providers easier.
The new rule will target BT/EE, Tesco Mobile, and Vodafone, all of which sell locked handsets. O2, Sky, Three, and Virgin do not sell locked phones and won't be affected.
Ofcom said its research found the issue was putting more than a third of people off switching with their existing handset and potentially getting a better deal.
It also highlighted the difficulties experienced by many consumers who currently need to be sent a code to unlock their device, which is often time-consuming and can involve failed codes and a loss of service during the unlocking process.
"We know that lots of people can be put off from switching because their handset is locked," said Ofcom's 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."
Top Stories
The controversial social media app Parler has today returned to the App Store, several months after Apple suspended it for breach of App Store rules.
Parler was removed from the App Store in January because Apple said that it failed to take "adequate measures to address the proliferation" of "threats to people's safety."
According to the Washington Post, Parler has now implemented a...
Apple is making some major improvements to the Find My app in iOS 15, making it easier to keep track of your Apple devices and AirTags. With the Find My network, Apple says that you can locate devices even after they've been turned off, a feature that's helpful if a missing device is stolen and disabled or if a lost device has a low battery.
It's not clear how this feature works, but it...
T-Mobile today hosted an Un-carrier event where the company announced the launch of a a new 5G home internet plan, which is priced at $60 per month and offers unlimited data.
The service is available to more than 30 million Americans across much of the United States, including 10 million households in rural areas not typically able to access reliable broadband. Connectivity will be either 4G ...
In an report related to its ongoing investigation into Apple and Google app marketplace dominance, Australia's consumer watchdog has warned both companies that it wants consumers to have more choice when it comes to preinstalled apps on Apple and Android devices (via ZDNet).
Specifically, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) wants Apple and Google to give users more...
Sony has committed to bringing its PlayStation brands and IP to third-party mobile devices, potentially as soon as this year (via VideoGamesChronicle).
Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan today explained during an investor relations session that the company plans to launch its major franchises on non-console platforms such as mobile, encouraged by its "very successful"...
We're just a couple of weeks away from the unveiling of iOS 15, and we've heard surprisingly little about what to expect from the new update. There are sometimes major software leaks when new versions of iOS are approaching, but that hasn't happened this year.
An unverified source that spoke to writer Connor Jewiss this week revealed some possible new features that we might expect from iOS...
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has published an in-depth report looking at how the product repair restrictions that manufacturers put in place negatively impact consumers and small businesses in various ways. Titled "Nixing the Fix," the report covers a litany of methods that companies use to limit the ability for customers and independent business to repair their products. Focusing...
Apple today added a new "Turn off Activation Lock" page to its website that provides steps users can take to turn off the security feature on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
As noted on Reddit, the page includes a link to start an Activation Lock support request in the United States, meaning that customers no longer have to contact an Apple support representative by phone, email, or online...
Last fall, Apple changed its App Store rules around in-app purchases for realtime experiences, and the guidelines technically require apps that offer virtual events to more than a single person to use in-app purchases.
Apple is not yet enforcing that rule, however, and has once again extended the timeline of when in-app purchases will need to be implemented. Apple has set the new deadline...
Apple is facing increasing pressure to tighten its App Tracking Transparency rules after it was found that third parties are using workarounds to identify users who do not consent to be tracked, according to the Financial Times.
Apple rules around App Tracking Transparency, which came into effect as part of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, require apps to ask for consent to track users across...
Top Rated Comments