AT&T and Verizon are being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) over whether they colluded in order to prevent customers from easily switching carriers.
The antitrust investigation, reported by The New York Times relates to the eSIM (embedded SIM) technology that is used instead of regular SIM cards in cellular-capable Apple Watches and other devices such as the Google Pixel 2. eSIMs are supposed to let customers switch carriers without changing to a different SIM card or device, but AT&T and Verizon are accused of “try[ing] to establish standards that would allow them to lock a device to their network even if it had eSIM technology,” the Times report said.
The investigation was opened about five months ago after at least one device maker and one wireless carrier filed formal complaints with the DOJ, two of people with knowledge of the investigation. The device maker was Apple, one of them said.
Full Content: New York Times
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
