Consumer advocates want a condition added to the FCC’s approval of T-Mobile’s Mint Mobile acquisition.
The advocacy groups have long insisted that all smartphones come unlocked by default making it easier for consumers to switch carriers. Phones locked to a carrier, especially those devices tied to a prepaid account, can impact low-income customers since they might not be able to afford to buy a new phone if they want to switch to a new wireless provider. As for postpaid accounts, T-Mobile says that it is following the unlocking requirements related to the Department of Justice’s final judgment in the deal that saw T-Mobile buy Sprint.