Overview
- Under the waiver, Verizon ends automatic 60-day unlocking and will unlock prepaid phones after about one year and postpaid phones once contracts or device financing are fulfilled, typically only upon request.
- The change applies only to handsets activated after the order, with previously activated devices remaining subject to the 60‑day automatic unlocking policy.
- The FCC rejected calls to impose a 180-day maximum lock period, concluding the CTIA standard maintains competitive options for consumers.
- Verizon reported an estimated 784,703 devices lost to fraud in 2023, and the FCC cited law-enforcement concerns over transnational trafficking of stolen handsets.
- Consumer and industry groups including Public Knowledge, Consumer Reports, the EFF, iFixit, and NCTA opposed the waiver, arguing it increases switching costs and dampens competition.