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Selling Locked Phones Banned in UK - Will This happen here?

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  • 27-10-2020 12:21pm
    #1
    JTMan
    Registered Users Posts: 5,540 ✭✭✭


    Mobile companies in the UK will be banned from selling 'locked' phones which only work with their network, under new rules coming into force at the end of 2021. Great news.

    This should increase switching and speed up switching.

    The UK change is on the back of new European rules, so is something similar going to happen here?


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    #2
    DopeTech
    Registered Users Posts: 6,802 ✭✭✭DopeTech


    JTMan wrote: »
    Mobile companies in the UK will be banned from selling 'locked' phones which only work with their network, under new rules coming into force at the end of 2021. Great news.

    This should increase switching and speed up switching.

    The UK change is on the back of new European rules, so is something similar going to happen here?

    It's a uk communications regulator ruling so doesn't mean it will happen here. To be honest I haven't bought a locked phone in years as I always buy sim free online and go with a sim only plan. Usually works out cheaper.

    It would be nice to see it here too but comreg are so disconnected from reality they probably will only get around to introducing it in about 10 years time.


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    #3
    JTMan
    Registered Users Posts: 5,540 ✭✭✭JTMan


    DopeTech wrote: »
    It's a uk communications regulator ruling so doesn't mean it will happen here.

    The article says that it is based on a European rulling, so maybe Comreg will introduce something similar.
    DopeTech wrote: »
    To be honest I haven't bought a locked phone in years as I always buy sim free online and go with a sim only plan. Usually works out cheaper.

    I do the same and buying a sim free phone makes sense but not everyone does this and stopping the selling of locked phones would encourage switching.


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    #4
    Bikerman2019
    Closed Accounts Posts: 992 ✭✭✭Bikerman2019


    I buy my own phone, currently a mimax 2, and go sim only. All this will do is increase the cost of buying a phone from a network as they are subsidised and they get their money back by adding the cost into the plan.


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    #5
    Ubbquittious
    Registered Users Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Ubbquittious


    Hopefully.. Bout time


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    #6
    3d4life
    Registered Users Posts: 880 ✭✭✭3d4life


    The last locked phone that I bought came with an 088 number


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    #7
    GerardKeating
    Registered Users Posts: 7,667 ✭✭✭GerardKeating


    JTMan wrote: »
    This should increase switching and speed up switching.

    And make the actually phone more expensive for those that are happy with their network, since without locking, there will be no network subsidisy one the handsets.


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    #8
    GarIT
    Registered Users Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭GarIT


    GerardKeating wrote: »
    And make the actually phone more expensive for those that are happy with their network, since without locking, there will be no network subsidisy one the handsets.


    There still can be if you buy on a bill. They are still entitled to ban the phone from using UK cell towers if the bill isn't paid.


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    #9
    JTMan
    Registered Users Posts: 5,540 ✭✭✭JTMan


    GerardKeating wrote: »
    And make the actually phone more expensive for those that are happy with their network, since without locking, there will be no network subsidisy one the handsets.

    There will still be network subsidies. Several UK operators (and 1 Irish operator) already only sell unlocked phones and still provide a subsidy. They can subsidise the phone because they still lock you into a 24 month contract at a tariff that covers the subsidy.


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    #10
    GerardKeating
    Registered Users Posts: 7,667 ✭✭✭GerardKeating


    GarIT wrote: »
    There still can be if you buy on a bill. They are still entitled to ban the phone from using UK cell towers if the bill isn't paid.

    that's ok for billpay, but not PAYG.


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