Mobile phon operators will be barred from selling smartphones locked to their networks the regulator Ofcom has said, a change designed to remove a barrier to switching networks for some customers.
Companies including BT/EE, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone sell phones that cannot be used on other networks unless they have been unlocked, a potentially complex process that can cost about £10, Ofcom said.
The ban will come into effect in December 2021.
Almost half of customers who try to unlock their phone have difficulties doing so. For example, they might experience a long delay before getting the code they need to unlock their phone; the code might not work; or they could suffer a loss of service if they did not realise their phone was locked before they tried to switch.
O2, Sky, Three and Virgin Media sell unlocked devices to their customers.
The move is part of a package of measures designed to ensure customers are treated fairly and to make switching easier, said the regulator.
It said it would consult on proposals to make it easier to switch from fixed-line broadband providers that use Openreach’s copper network to those that use completely separate networks, such as Virgin Media, CityFibre, Gigaclear or Hyperoptic.
