President Barack Obama on Friday signed a bill into law that allows consumers to unlock their mobile phones for use on other network carriers.
The bill, dubbed as the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, got an approval from the Senate on July 16 and from the House of Representatives on Friday.
The new law reverses a 2012 Library of Congress ruling that made it illegal for consumers to unlock their phones on switching to other carriers. As per the ruling, unlocking a mobile phone violated the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Most mobile phones sold in the US through wireless operators come with a software lock which prohibits their use on another operator’s network. Consumers’ disappointment from the ruling resulted in an online “We the People” petition which garnered more than 114,000 signatures in support of unlocking as well as support from the White House and other parts of the U.S. government.
The new unlocking law comes as good news for consumers who wish to use their devices on other mobile networks without the need of the carrier’s permission. The law will also help international travellers to save more by opting for service from a foreign carrier instead of roaming, which is typically more expensive.
But, it is to be noted that the act does not legalize the unlocking of tablets or any other devices. This means that unlocking a tablet, a cellular-enabled smartglass or a smartwatch is still deemed as illegal.
The legislation is only effective until the Library of Congress reviews exemptions to the DMCA most likely in late 2015.
