The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the major US phone carriers, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless, members of the CITA Wireless Association, announced six new principles to make it easier for users to unlock their cell phones) and other 3G/4G equipped devices.
Here are the new unlocking principles (PDF Link
http://www.ctia.org/docs/default-source/fcc-filings/ctia-letter-on-unlocking.pdf). They will start taking effect in the next three months and will be fully in place within 12 months.
Dated December 13, 2013
1) Disclosure: Each carrier must post on its Website a clear policy on how and when pre- and post-paid wireless devices can be unlocked.
2) Postpaid Unlocking Policy: Carriers must either unlock devices or provide users with the information they need to unlock them after their contract has been fulfilled.
3) Prepaid Unlocking Policy: If you ask a carrier, they will unlock prepaid devices no later than a year after their initial activation, provided that you've met the payment, time, and usage requirements.
4) Customer Notice: Carriers that lock devices must notify users when their devices are eligible to be unlocked without an additional fee.
5) Response Time: Carriers must unlock eligible devices, or initiate an OEM request to unlock it, within two business days of a customer's request.
6) Deployed Military Personnel Unlocking: If you're deployed in the military, carriers must unlock the devices as your request if you're a customer in good standing.