Last year major U.S carriers launched a database to block stolen handsets on their network. The purpose was to stem the tide of stolen phones and other devices, which has been on the rise.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t very effective as organized crime groups dumped the stolen phones outside the U.S.
That’s changed from this week as CTIA has announced that a stolen database that was launched last year has been finalized and implemented just before the November 30th deadline. CTIA President and CEO Steve Largent also notes that the database has been integrated with international carriers.
“Today, I am pleased to confirm that the global, multi-carrier, common database for LTE smartphones has been finalized and implemented in advance of the November 30, 2013 deadline. The matter of stolen devices is extremely important to the wireless providers, which is why they worked so hard over the last year to meet each deadline on time. As more countries and more carriers around the world participate in the 3G and 4G/LTE databases, criminals will have fewer outlets since these stolen phones would be blacklisted and could not be reactivated.
This is great news. Let’s hope the introduction of anti-theft features such as Activation Lock in iOS 7 and the global database to block stolen phones helps in curbing theft to some extent.
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