India, May 24 -- Verizon may soon make it harder for customers to switch carriers or unlock their phones early. The company is reportedly seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Trump administration to extend its device lock period from the current 60 days to six months. If approved, the change would align Verizon with AT&T's policy and further tighten restrictions compared to competitors like T-Mobile, which already enforces a 12-month lock on prepaid devices.

Verizon argues that extending the lock period is necessary to deter phone theft and fraud, which ultimately harms teh customers. The company's petition stated, "The Unlocking Rule applies only to particular providers-mainly Verizon-and distorts th...