Great news in what’s been a frustrating battle in the “war” against wireless companies with regards to unlocking your phone or tablet. Sparring all the nitty gritty details, U.S. wireless carriers have agreed to six principles regarding unlocking cellphones and tablets.

• Disclosure: Each carrier will have to explain its policy on unlocking clearly and concisely on its website.
• Prepaid Unlocking Policy: Carriers will unlock prepaid mobile devices upon request, no later than one year after the initial activation.
• Postpaid Unlocking Policy: Carriers will unlock or provide necessary information to unlock their devices to customers and former customers after the completion of a service contract, device financing plan or the payment of an early termination fee.
• Notice: Carriers that lock devices have to notify customers that they are eligible to unlock their devices when eligibility occurs or will automatically unlock devices remotely when they are eligible.
• Response Time: Carriers will unlock eligible devices within two business days of receiving a request.
• Deployed Personnel Unlocking Policy: Carriers will unlock mobile devices for deployed military personnel for customers in good standing.

Once it gets added to CTIA’s bylaws (which shouldn’t take too long), unlocking will again be taking place.