My fellow Americans: our government has taken a baby step that may just let us, once again, legally unlock our own mobile phones. On Tuesday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) submitted a formal application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that would reinstate this former right. The NTIA, which sits under the Department of Commerce, is the president's primary advisory agency on telecom and information policy.

As that petition (PDF) states:

A broad unlocking rule would enhance user choice within service areas. As competition in wireless markets increases, consumers will likely see a continually changing menu of rates, terms, and conditions from rival providers. To the extent that an unlocked device enables a consumer to move more freely among providers, the proposed unlocking rule would further the ability to select the provider that best suits the consumer’s needs. As long as a consumer continues to adhere to any existing service agreement—or pays the specified fees or penalties for prematurely terminating that agreement—the unlocking rule’s benefit for consumers does not unduly burden the original providers. Further, a greater ability to experiment with other service providers would likely increase overall competition in a locality.

As Ars has reported before, the legality of unlocking one's cell phone to run on any network has flipped back and forth throughout the past several years. It was deemed illegal to unlock a phone under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, then it was made legal by the Library of Congress in an exception to the DMCA passed in 2006. The Library chose not to renew the exemption in 2012, however, and it expired in January 2013. Both the White House and Congress want unlocking rights to be restored.

“We applaud NTIA’s recognition of the need to restore the exemption that permits consumers to unlock their cell phones and other mobile devices without the approval of their wireless provider,” said three Judiciary Committee members in a joint statement on Tuesday. “This is an issue of consumer choice and flexibility, plain and simple. We are appreciative of the support of groups like NTIA and we will all continue working to see that this issue of significant importance to most Americans is addressed.”