Wonder if this will become something in the US

I wonder if any companies will start blocking lost or stolen cell phones here in the US.


Tesltra blocking more stolen GSM handsets
Australia's GSM and CDMA operator, Telstra has warned people to take extra care of their mobile phones, with new figures showing that this summer Telstra has already blocked access to more than 7,600 lost or stolen handsets.

Telstra Consumer and Marketing, Consumer Segment Head, Jenny Young, said the figures showed summer was the peak season for lost and stolen phones across Australia, as mobile users leave their phones behind at beaches and fall victim to thieves.

She said February had been one of the worst months for lost and stolen mobile phones each year since Telstra introduced handset blocking in 2002. Mobile phones are blocked from the network after they are reported by their owners to be lost or stolen.

"Last summer saw a record number 16,079 mobile phones reported lost or stolen to Telstra," Ms Young said. "To prevent a repeat of this Telstra is encouraging mobile users to keep their phones with them while they are enjoying the last weeks of summer.

"Mobile phone theft and loss increases over the summer, because people are out and about in popular public places where thieves target, such as beaches. People seem to let their guard down or simply forget about their mobile.

"Outdoor venues, sporting events, public transport and taxis are some of the other top places mobile phones are prone to be left behind or stolen."

Ms Young said Telstra was one of the first carriers in the world to introduce IMEI (serial number) blocking on GSM phones, which prevents them from being used on our GSM network. Since the program was launched in 2002 Telstra has blocked more than 120,000 lost and stolen mobile phones.

"Telstra has also worked closely with the other GSM mobile carriers in Australia to introduce inter carrier blocking so that a phone blocked on one carrier's network will also be blocked on other GSM networks. However, it is also important for customers to take preventative measures to minimise the risk of misplacing their phone or having it stolen."




Posted on 08-02-2005

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