FCC Investigating U.S. Ban of Unlocking Cell Phones

[exfileme]

There may be competition and innovation concerns regarding the new unlock ban on new smartphones.

FCC Investigating U.S. Ban of Unlocking Cell Phones : Read more

 

[spentshells]

No joke this has to do with lobby groups. Nothing about this makes any sense.
Someone is trying to retain customers by force (more or less)

 

[Sakkura]

Half a million dollars in fine and 5 years in jail for unlocking a smartphone. Yes, now I understand why America is the greatest country in the world. Sheesh...

 

[Soda-88]

Nice one, Anders Breivik got 21 years for murdering 77 people and US citizens who unlock their phone can get 1/4 of that. I think it's safe to say that I'm glad I don't live there.

 

[A Bad Day]

[citation][nom]Sakkura[/nom]Half a million dollars in fine and 5 years in jail for unlocking a smartphone. Yes, now I understand why America is the greatest country in the world. Sheesh...[/citation]

We can't even afford our own prisons. There's overcrowding in majority of them. Not too long ago, two busloads of prisoners were transported from all the way from Chicago to a local "correction facility" in my county.

 

[Hellstalker]

If this is so then carriers should be obliged to unlock your phone automatically when your contract is over, else the same penalty for every phone NOT unlocked.

 

[itchyisvegeta]

Something is wrong in this country, when you get in more trouble for unlocking a phone, than you would for committing a sex crime.

 

[sykozis]

Here's my issue. They claim the smartphone to be property of the carrier for the duration of the 2 year contract. In that case, shouldn't the carrier be 100% responsible for any issues the phone may have during that 2 year contract and not the phone's manufacturer? I previously had issue with a smartphone on Sprint.... Sprint wanted to charge me $30 to replace a phone still covered by it's manufacturer's 1yr warranty. If I was leasing the phone, as suggested in this article, it would have been Sprint's responsibility to ensure I had a properly functioning phone at all times (not to mention it's illegal to charge a customer to repair/replace a product covered by any type of warranty unless the agreed upon terms state such charges).... So, at what point does the consumer STOP getting ripped off? If we don't "own" the phones due to buying with subsidies, the carriers should be forced to warranty the phones themselves for the duration of the 2 year contract or terminate the contract at no charge if the phone fails outside of it's 1yr warranty.

 

[jezus53]

[citation][nom]Sakkura[/nom]Half a million dollars in fine and 5 years in jail for unlocking a smartphone. Yes, now I understand why America is the greatest country in the world. Sheesh...[/citation]

weird isn't it? the fine for speeding in my area, essentially risking peoples lives because you are in such a hurry, comes out to around 400 dollars. running a red light costs you 397 dollars (according to the signs at nearly every intersection here). but I'm glad we have such strict penalties for such terrible and heinous crimes like unlocking my own cell phone.

 

[Avus]

just wonder any other country has the similar law?

 

[smeezekitty]

$500000 + up to 5 years for unlocking a cell phone? Holy crap that is absurd!
Its not like you robbed a bank or something.

On a side note, the DMCA is one of largest pieces of crap created in recent history.

 

[jalek]

The FCC isn't the right agency, it should be the FBI, finding out which Congressmen got the money attached to this bill. It was likely authored by company lawyers, so these Congressmen were acting as agents rather than lawmakers. It's so commonplace now, they probably don't even consider it bribery.

 

[bllue]

This has Apple smeared all over it. I'm sure Apple is lobbying against unlocking phones

 

[tobalaz]

[citation][nom]sykozis[/nom]Here's my issue. They claim the smartphone to be property of the carrier for the duration of the 2 year contract. In that case, shouldn't the carrier be 100% responsible for any issues the phone may have during that 2 year contract and not the phone's manufacturer? I previously had issue with a smartphone on Sprint.... Sprint wanted to charge me $30 to replace a phone still covered by it's manufacturer's 1yr warranty. If I was leasing the phone, as suggested in this article, it would have been Sprint's responsibility to ensure I had a properly functioning phone at all times (not to mention it's illegal to charge a customer to repair/replace a product covered by any type of warranty unless the agreed upon terms state such charges).... So, at what point does the consumer STOP getting ripped off? If we don't "own" the phones due to buying with subsidies, the carriers should be forced to warranty the phones themselves for the duration of the 2 year contract or terminate the contract at no charge if the phone fails outside of it's 1yr warranty.[/citation]

Right there with ya on this one.

I'd like to add any phone should be unlocked once the 2 year contract is up since we just finished paying for said phone, and any phone we pay for in full should remain unlocked and allowed to transfer to any carrier so long as the phone is capable of supporting the network of the carrier.
We consumers are losing our rights because the people making decisions have no clue and are too busy getting their pockets lined with stacks of cash to care from these jackasses that are screwing us over.

 

[cpatel1987]

[citation][nom]tobalaz[/nom]Right there with ya on this one.I'd like to add any phone should be unlocked once the 2 year contract is up since we just finished paying for said phone, and any phone we pay for in full should remain unlocked and allowed to transfer to any carrier so long as the phone is capable of supporting the network of the carrier.We consumers are losing our rights because the people making decisions have no clue and are too busy getting their pockets lined with stacks of cash to care from these jackasses that are screwing us over.[/citation]

I'd go a step further and say your free to do what you want to the phone after the 1 year warranty is up...oh wait that was the rules of the land before 🙂.

 

[icycool]

The smartphone is essentially owned by the carriers for the duration contract period, as said.. you are renting-to-own.
Having said that, if you fully intend to pay out the contract, you essentially own it for your own purposes.. ie unlocking.
Just like a lease to own car, if you don't like the tyres, you change them with intention to fully own.
And should you exit contract, you will be paying for carriers damage anyway.
And still end up owning said product.

 

[rgs80074]

yes i fully agree, these punishment is insane for unlocking a phone.

you should be able to unlock your phone once your done with the contract, and i agree the company should extend the warranty to the term of the contract to cover the phone. you should be able to jailbreak your phone at anytime without voidnig the warranty.

on top of this you pay less for the phone becasue the phone company is subsidizing the phone for the contract. i understand this but for some reason once your out of your contract and such your bill does not go down. so if your no longer paying to subsidize your phone why are we still paying the same for the phone service.

 

[10tacle]

[citation][nom]Sakkura[/nom]Half a million dollars in fine and 5 years in jail for unlocking a smartphone. Yes, now I understand why America is the greatest country in the world. Sheesh...[/citation]

Yet people from all over the world want to move to America (legally AND illegally) because they are escaping worse circumstances in their own nations. But no nation on the planet is free from stupid laws, ignorant and corrupt politicians, and a bunch of idiots in the population that vote for the politicians that pass the stupid laws to begin with.

 

[anathema_forever]

I like the idea of punishment being proportionate and if its half a million for a consumer shouldn't be like half a billion for the carrier if they do something naughty like over bill someone etc? Half a million is alot of an individuals total wealth and the cost of the cellphone doesn't compare being like 700 max. Seems only fair the carriers pay out in the billions if they screw up a customers service somehow, its only fair and I thought ideas like that were important in the legal system. If I am right and there is some form of fairness to this and fairness really does belong in the law I want those senators etc heads surgically installed up their asses for permanent residency.

 

[Sakkura]

Yet people from all over the world want to move to America (legally AND illegally) because they are escaping worse circumstances in their own nations. But no nation on the planet is free from stupid laws, ignorant and corrupt politicians, and a bunch of idiots in the population that vote for the politicians that pass the stupid laws to begin with.

Dunno, looks like more people are heading for (western/northern) Europe than the US. Though geography is probably a factor in that.