Canadian carrier Bell has amended its unlocking policy and all devices locked onto its network can now be unlocked for free. The company would previously charge a fee to unlock devices, but that has recently changed its ways along with updating its Wireless Code. In early December, the country’s telecom regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), implemented a ban on carrier’s practice to charge a fee for unlocking devices. Bell complied with the ban and offered free unlocking, but only for current or former customers. The move sparked controversy, as it left out many non-customers who purchased second-hand devices locked onto Bell’s network.
Bell’s former policy essentially meant that those with locked devices purchased second-hand could not unlock them for free if they’d never been Bell customers themselves, as the carrier could not carry out its due diligence. The latest change now offers free unlocking to anyone with a locked Bell phone, even if they have no account associated with Bell. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, Bell says that it has a new system in place to make sure that the device in question has never been associated with a delinquent or fraudulent account. With this move, Bell is now in line with other Canadian carriers such as Rogers and Telus, which have already been offering free unlocking for all devices, including second-hand ones, even if the new owners were never on their networks.
Before the option offering free unlocking for all, people who bought a locked Bell device had to pay roughly $50 CAD to unlock it if they were not Bell customers. The change makes things easier for consumers, speeding up the process and dropping the fees as long as the device in question has never been reported as stolen. Bell did not explain why it finally chose to drop unlocking fees for non-customers, but it might have reached the decision following public backlash. Nevertheless, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) still wants to petition the CRTC to amend the Wireless Code so that it clearly states that carriers should offer free device unlocking to everyone, (former) customers or not.
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