Overview
- The waiver applies only to new activations following the order, leaving phones already active on Verizon’s network unaffected.
- During the waiver, Verizon must follow the CTIA policy: prepaid devices unlock after one year, postpaid devices unlock after obligations are met, and unlocking occurs upon request rather than automatically.
- The FCC said the shift closes a loophole exploited by trafficking rings that resold stolen Verizon handsets for premium prices overseas.
- Verizon told the FCC it lost about 784,703 devices to fraud in 2023 at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, a key data point cited in the decision.
- Consumer groups and the NCTA opposed the change as harmful to switching and device reuse, but the FCC rejected a proposed 180-day limit and left the waiver in place until an industry-wide unlocking framework is set.