legal to flash a Verizon phone to PagePlus?

[justaguy168]

I am frustrated by my high Verizon bills and would like to move to PagePlus. Page Plus is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) and uses the Verizon Wireless network to provide its services. This means you get Verizon reception and way below Verizon prices. However, the phones offered by PP in a word -- suck. Older feature and smartphones will work but newer phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Note must be flashed.

The flash process is described here and here. I thought that with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) effective this past January you were not allowed to flash phones. However on other forums and on eBay there seems to be a thriving industry on people flashing phones and even making use of used SIM cards in the process.

I purchased a used Verizon Galaxy S4 from Gazelle.com and plan to flash it to accept Page Plus service. On one hand I don't want to pay a lot for this muffler. On the other hand, I don't want a gumshoe in a skinny tie and dark glasses flashing his badge at my door either. Does anybody have experience with flashing phones or are aware of this issue and could clarify? I've deliberately chosen a non-cell-phone forum to ask this question for perspective.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ImDonly1]

1. This is the cellphone forum.
2. Yes it is legal. Page plus specifically allows activation of Verizon phones.
3. The law is stupid and I think been changed. No one enforces it or follows it.

Also, "flashing" a LTE phone to page plus basically involves disabling the LTE component and adding the right PRL. How is that different from activating a non-LTE phone legal-wise? It is the same thing, except you are doing it manually since pageplus's system does not support LTE devices. There is nothing illegal about activating a LTE device on pageplus.

How can bringing your own non-LTE device be legal, but bringing an LTE device be illegal? Ask yourself this. It isn't illegal.

 

[midwestfisherman]

It's your device, do what you want with it!

 

[cardiac]

There are quite a few here familiar with Page Plus. I've been with them for almost 3 years. Flashing to PP has been going on for a while and I have never heard of any problems. If you do need to stay within a budget, the Motorola X2, Incredible 2, or iPhone 4/4s, are not bad choices for Page Plus.

 

[lothar]

I've never heard of someone in the US being sent to prison for unlocking or flashing their own cellular device.

 

[justaguy168]

Information week says:

A carrier locked cell phone contains software that prevents its use on any unintended cellular network. According to provisions in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act [DMCA], phones purchased as of Jan. 27, 2013 may not be unlocked without the expressed permission of either the hardware manufacturer or the cellular network it is currently locked to, or both. Doing so without permission is now considered illegal . . . . Performing an unauthorized device unlock is currently punishable by up to five years in prison and a $500,000 USD fine.

The full text of the article can be found here. The definition of flashing that I have is "allowing a phone from one network to work on another." Unlocking is the term used for GSM phones and flashing is the term for CDMA phones -- like Verizon.

Gazelle explicitly said the phone is only to be used for Verizon and Page Plus explicitly said they don't support this practice. Now I'm the one paying for the unlocking. Whether you do it yourself or you pay someone to do it doesn't legally matter. Sounds pretty severe for just modifying your own phone.

 

[shabby]

I've never heard of someone in the US being sent to prison for unlocking or flashing their own cellular device.

justaguy168 will be the first one caught doing this and will be made an example of, sentenced to 100 years in jail for illegal cell phone flashing...

 

[Bman123]

If you're worried about the legality of doing this then don't do it. I've done it plenty of times before and I'll keep doing it for other people. Page plus is nice and cheap but the 3g is so damn slow

 

[justaguy168]

justaguy168 will be the first one caught doing this and will be made an example of, sentenced to 100 years in jail for illegal cell phone flashing...

Hehehe, shabby hits it on the head. I do feel like this is another version of the "I'm not a crook" speech.

Those who flash phones are cellphone enthusiasts who like to tinker. They invest time and energy to acquire knowledge and are rewarded with faster and more fully featured phones at lower costs. Before I make the choice to have a flashed phone I have to ask myself if I want to make a similar investment. Flashing phones does not seem like it's for the casual user. It also does not seem like it's for the risk-averse. While it is unlikely that a man in dark glasses with a skinny tie and a shiny badge will show up at my door, it is more likely that Verizon may catch on and close technological loopholes and these flashed phones may require more modifications to continue working.

What is also likely is that increased technology will drive higher and higher consumer demand, cellphone carriers will continue to increase their rates, and governments will increase taxes and fees. This will in turn drive more people to tinker with the system.

 

[sze5003]

I wish I could do the same to my droid DNA and flash it to metro pcs. Metro lets you bring your own phone but doesn't seem like most common phones are listed.

 

[s44]

justaguy168 will be the first one caught doing this and will be made an example of, sentenced to 100 years in jail for illegal cell phone flashing...

Only if he's on a Tea Party donor list.

Seriously, though, not only has no one gone to jail, AFAIK no one has even been prosecuted. This would be an issue to worry about if you do this in your cellphone shop back room for cash, not if you're reflashing for yourself.