Response to Ofcom’s plans to ban mobile firms from selling ‘locked’ phones

Three UK has issued the following statement in response to Ofcom’s plans to ban mobile firms from selling ‘locked’ phones.

A Three UK spokesperson said:
“We don’t believe that there should be any barriers to switching mobile provider. That’s why we have supplied all our handsets unlocked at the point of sale since 2014. We welcome Ofcom’s preferred proposal to ensure that all operators sell unlocked handsets, ending a practice that three quarters of consumers find unfair*. However, there is no technical reason for a 12-month implementation period and urge them to bring their timetable forward, so that consumers can benefit from simpler switching in 2020.”

*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 4184 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 30th August – 2nd September 2019. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).