Commenting on Ofcom’s guide to unlocking mobile phones, Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, says: “Ofcom’s new guide is very welcome, and we hope that this information helps to dispel the myths of unlocking mobile phones, along with the stigma of it being an illegal or shady practice.
“Unlocking should be done swiftly and without charge once you have served your time on a contract. It’s worrying that most networks charge around £20 just to unlock a phone, which can be done in a matter of minutes.
“One of the most cost-effective options for mobile customers is switching to a competitive SIM-only deal for their existing handset at the end of a contract, and in this case, unlocking may well be required. This stops you from continuing to shell out for a handset that you’ve already paid off, and can reduce your mobile bill significantly.
“We understand that mobile networks often sell handsets at a loss and try to avoid ‘box breaking’ by locking them – especially those on Pay As You Go tariffs.
“Box-breaking, which is when handsets are bought up in large quantities, unlocked and re-sold for profit, is a real problem for mobile operators as they miss out on the revenues from the SIM-card being activated.
“Locking mobiles is widely practised by the networks, although Three completely stopped locking its handsets in December 2013. We hope Ofcom’s guide prompts more networks to follow Three’s suit and give customers more freedom and flexibility to switch providers.”
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Email: maja.hauke@uswitch.com
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