Verizon will be SIM locking its phones for 60 days from now on

As part of acquiring new 4G spectrum, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) required that Verizon keep its phones SIM unlocked, as in not locked to any particular network. Now, the FCC is giving Verizon the go ahead to start locking its phones to its network for 60 days.

After that 60 days is up, the phone’s must be immediately, automatically unlocked, per the FCC. That means that, if you buy a new phone on Verizon, intending to take it somewhere else, you’ll have to wait at least 60 days before you can bring it to another carrier.

Verizon says that these moves are to help them combat fraud; however, it does mean that customers will be locked into Verizon for a couple billing cycles, as a “consequence.” Here’s the official statement from Big Red:

“Even with these safeguards in place, Verizon will still have the most consumer-friendly unlocking policy in the industry and we see very little impact on our legitimate customers’ ability to use their devices.”

You can find all of the official details from the FCC below.

source: FCC
via: Android Police