Sen. Franken Helps Move Forward Bill to Restore Consumers' Right to Transfer Cell Phones to Other Carriers

Press Release

Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) helped advance legislation that would restore consumers' right to easily transfer their cell phones to other wireless carriers. The legislation, which Sen. Franken cosponsored, cleared a key hurdle when he voted to pass it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

Last year, Sen. Franken and a bipartisan group of Senators introduced the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, which would restore an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and let consumers "unlock" their cell phones when their contract expires.

"When consumers pay for a mobile phone, they should have the right to use it on whichever cellphone network they choose. They shouldn't have to buy a new device just to switch carriers," said Sen. Franken. "This bipartisan legislation allows consumers to unlock their current phones when the terms of their contracts are up, so when they switch carriers they aren't forced into purchasing a new device. It saves people money, promotes competition in the wireless market, and gives consumers more choice. It's just commonsense."

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced the legislation and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is also a cosponsor.

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