NEW POLL: 9 in 10 Voters Want Unlocked Cellphones and the Ability to Switch Providers When They Want
Poll conducted by Fabrizio Ward shows broad, bipartisan backing for consumer choice in wireless market
WASHINGTON, April 10, 2026 – A new national survey from The Bull Moose Project finds overwhelming support for giving consumers the right to unlock their cell phones and switch wireless providers when they want. The poll, conducted by Fabrizio Ward, shows that a supermajority of voters believe that they should be able to take their phone to a new provider whenever they want rather than cellphone providers being able to restrict – or lock – the device so it only works on their network.
An overwhelming 93% of voters agree that consumers should be able to take their cellphones with them and switch providers as easily as they take their phone number with them – underscoring widespread frustration with restrictive processes that limit choice and drive-up monthly costs.
“Free markets only work when consumers are free to choose. Locking cellphones simply locks individuals and families into more expensive plans, props up incumbents, and weakens competition,” said Aiden Buzzetti, President of the Bull Moose Project. “Unlocking will restore market pressure and put power back in consumers’ hands, and that’s why nearly 90% of voters support it.”
Support for unlocking cellphones spans the political spectrum, with strong backing from Republicans, Independents, and Democrats. Voters consistently view the issue as a common-sense matter of ownership, affordability, and freedom. When consumers pay for their phones – whether outright or through a payment plan – they believe those devices should belong to them, not be permanently locked to a single wireless network.
Key highlights from the poll include:
Voters overwhelmingly want the freedom to switch providers: 93% of voters agree that taking your phone to a new carrier should be as easy as taking your phone number, which is allowed at any time the consumer chooses.
Support for unlocking is deep and bipartisan: Voters overwhelmingly favor giving consumers the right to switch providers, with an 85% to 6% margin. Notably, 71% of voters strongly support this right. Similarly, 64% approve allowing consumers to change providers if a new carrier pays off their remaining contract balance.
voters see mobile locking as anti-consumer and anti-competitive: 3 in 4 voters agree that locking phones to a single network limits consumer choice, blocks competition, and keeps monthly prices high – forcing families to pay more even when cheaper options exist.
Wireless costs remain a major concern: Nearly half of voters (48%) say the monthly cost of their cellphone service is too high, reinforcing the need for more competition and flexibility in the marketplace.
To learn more, please read the memo on the survey findings.
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