Customers will no longer be sold mobile phones ‘locked’ to specific networks
Mobile phone companies are to be banned from selling devices which are “locked” into specific networks, the communications regulator has ruled.
Ofcom said the likes of BT/EE, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone will be told to follow their other big name rivals in only supplying phones which allow customers to switch from one network to another while keeping their existing handset.
Unlocking barriers to switching: we are banning phone companies from selling locked mobile handsets.
This is part of a range of measures we’re introducing to help make switching simpler and promote fairness for customers: https://t.co/mCNqTtchMA
— Ofcom (@Ofcom) October 27, 2020
The rules will come into effect from December 2021.
Selina Chadha, Ofcom’s connectivity director, said: “We know that lots of people can be put off from switching because their handset is locked.
“So we’re banning mobile companies from selling locked phones, which will save people time, money and effort – and help them unlock better deals.”
Currently, companies such as BT/EE, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone still sell mobile phones which cannot be used on other networks unless they are unlocked.
Customers can unlock their phones, although it costs money to do so.
Ofcom said it expects widespread compliance with the new rules, and companies breaking them risk being slapped with heavy fines.