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When a phone is paid for, can that phone be taken elsewhere for service?
When a phone is paid for, can it be taken elsewhere to get service?
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Official Solution
JefferMC
ACE - Expert
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36K Messages
20 days ago
There are two different levels of obstacles for using a phone that you purchased from AT&T on another carrier.
The first is an account lock, that only the account that the phone is being paid for on can use the phone. Once you've paid for the phone, that lock goes away, and the phone may be used on any line on an AT&T tower (either AT&T or an MVNO, such as Cricket).
The second is the standard carrier lock, which prevents you from using a locked phone on towers operated by another carrier. You must request removal of once the conditions have been taken care of. You have to wait 48 hours after you finish paying off the phone, in addition to the other requirements, before you can request the unlock. For more details about this, go to https://att.com/unlock
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polles
2 Messages
15 days ago
When the phone is fully paid for, it can usually be used with any other carrier if it's unlocked. An unlocked phone is not tied to a specific operator and allows you to insert a SIM card of any other operator to receive services. However, it is recommended to check with the current operator to make sure that the phone is really unlocked.
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gr8sho
ACE - Professor
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5.7K Messages
15 days ago
I have to admit my first take on the question was service referred to getting the phone fixed.
A lot of phones also have additional eSIMs which could be used to establish cellular service.
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kevink
ACE - Scholar
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1K Messages
15 days ago
Once unlocked, you can use on other carriers. But the phone also has to be compatible with that other service for best results. Band 71 for coverage on T-Mobile. Band 13 for Verizon, etc. Most carriers have an IMEI checker for compatibility available on their website.
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