Cellphone unlocking legislation is heading to the White...
Cellphone unlocking legislation is heading to the White House for presidential signature. The House unanimously approved the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act (S-517) Friday, which the Senate approved earlier this month. “Once the President signs this bill into…
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law, consumers will be able to more easily use their existing cell phones on the wireless carrier of their choice,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said in a statement. Leahy had introduced a bipartisan compromise version of this bill earlier this year. The Competitive Carriers Association issued a statement praising the House vote. President Barack Obama plans to sign the bill, he said in a statement. “The bill Congress passed today is another step toward giving ordinary Americans more flexibility and choice, so that they can find a cell phone carrier that meets their needs and their budget,” Obama said. CTIA, Consumers Union and Public Knowledge offered praise, as did Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai. “Contract law -- not copyright or criminal law -- should govern the relationship between consumers and wireless carriers,” Pai said. “This measure will help the free market for wireless phones and services flourish -- freedom that I hope will soon extend to tablets and other wireless devices.”