President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill making it legal for consumers to “unlock” their cell phones in order to use a different wireless network.
This means me and my cell phone unlocking buddies won’t have to worry about the FBI tossing stun grenades through our windows any longer.
Having the previous copyright law removed, that made it illegal to unlock your own cell phone, is something that has been long awaited. It was akin to a car manufacturer selling you a car and then telling you that you had to fill it up with “x brand” gasoline, or face criminal prosecution.
For those of you wanting to change cell phone carriers, but don’t want to lose the cell phone you’ve become familiar with, you should be able to receive an unlocking code that can be easily placed in your phone. The instructions and code are sent via email (and you won’t need any hacking skills).
Visit this cellphone unlock codes website to obtain an unlock code and instructions for your phone. Use the dropdown menu provided on the page to select the manufacturer (Motorola, etc. and your model of phone).
If you don’t find an unlock code for your phone, it may be because it is a newer model. The problems with that, I will mention shortly.
Known as the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, the new law allows mobile phone owners to unlock their devices – typically tied, or “locked,” to a specific service provider like Verizon or Sprint – and use them on competing networks.
Previously, wireless carriers kept phones locked to their networks even after contracts expired in an attempt to keep customers from switching companies. In 2012, the Library of Congress made it illegal to void this technology via cell phone unlocking, meaning those that untied their phones could potentially face legal action and, in some cases, jail time.
An unlocked phone allows you to save money, keep your familiar phone, and more easily switch network providers.
After Congress approved of legislation to make the action legal again, President Obama praised the move and said he looked forward to signing it.
“The bill Congress passed today is another step toward giving ordinary Americans more flexibility and choice, so that they can find a cell phone carrier that meets their needs and their budget,” he said last week, when the bill cleared Congress.
Unlocking New Phones Made More Difficult
Cell phone corporations saw the possibility of unlocking becoming legal long before it became so. They also knew that many phones were being unlocked beforehand.
If you are the techno-geek that just has to have the newest e-gadget that is released, then you may be eliminating the possibility of getting your cell phone unlocked. Some of the newest phones can only be hacked with great difficulty and some brands can’t be used on other networks at all.
On recent Motorola phones, unlocking involves disassembling the phone, drilling into a shield over the main circuit board to tap into the right contacts and kicking the phone into a special diagnostic mode to get at the unlocking code. Recent Samsung phones can be unlocked with a software-only process.
All of this only affects the newest releases of GSM and iDen phones from Cingular, T-Mobile, Nextel, and Boost.
Want To Unlock Your Cell Phone?
See my previous article, CLICK HERE.
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
