Today, the President fulfilled his promise to sign the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act.
This means it’s once again legal tounlock your cell phone to use on other carriers.
However, the move is only temporary.
Here’s what happened and how it affects you.
However, every three years, the Library of Congress can make specific exemptions to this law.
However, that exemption was not renewed in 2012.
As of 2013, cell phone unlockingbecame illegal(sort of).
As of today, this is no longer the case.
…and it could be only temporary…
The law that’s being passed doesn’t actually change any existing laws; it just provides an exemption.
However, there’s one other thing the law does.
This means there’s a pretty good chance that the exemption will continue to be reinstated in the future.
However, ultimately, the power is still in the Librarian of Congress' hands.
The new law doesn’t guarantee you might unlock cell phones forever.
You only get that guarantee for one year.
Which is a much harder bill (and may require amending the DMCA.)
Even if you do unlock it, data pipe incompatibility makes unlocking largely impractical to begin with.
That’snot to saythat it doesn’t matter.
This new legislation is definitely a step in the right direction for cell phone portability.
It’s no longer illegal to seek help elsewhere.
Photos byRJ Schmidt,Sebastian Bergmann,hn., andMartin Langsholt.
