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TracFone Finally Agrees To Allow Phone Unlocking

Posted by samzenpus on from the free-phone dept.

jfruh writes: While most Slashdot readers probably enjoy the latest and greatest smartphones and heavy-use data plans, millions of Americans use low-cost, prepaid featurephones, and many of those are sold under various brand names owned by TracFone. Today, after much pressure from the FCC, TracFone admitted that its customers also have the right to an unlocked phone that they can port to a different provider, including those low-income customers who participate in the government-subsidized Lifeline program, widely (though incorrectly) known as "Obamaphone".

2 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. Re: Are you OK, samzenpus? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    It may not "technically" be a tax, but it sure is "effectively" one. The USF is levied on all phone providers, including VOIP ones and there is nothing voluntary about it despite the use of the word "donation" in the parent post. The current "contribution factor" (tax rate) for this quarter is 17.1%. Whether the phone company decides to show that as a separate line item or not, the end user is still the one who is going to pay it.

    https://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/contribution-factor-quarterly-filings-universal-service-fund-usf-management-support

  2. tracfone byop by emil · · Score: 3, Informative

    Yes, you can bring phones in from other carriers. This capability was greatly expanded with the Page Plus acquisition. I suggest a Verizon 4g device (this is the least expensive path to Verizon service). Verizon devices get triple the value on all purchased pins. http://tracfonewireless.com/by...