The US government and all the major carriers have agreed to put together a database of stolen phones to halt the theft and sale of taken devices. As reported by the WSJ, T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon are all on board, and when a phone enters the database as lost or stolen, no other carrier will provide voice or data service to that specific unit — rendering it near-useless.
The idea here is that it makes it much harder to use a stolen phone, and so reduces the market for these goods. The plan is still a ways from being completed — the individual carriers will roll out databases in the next six months, and they’ll be tied together in the 12 months that follow.
Once this network goes into place, it’s also doubly important that you know the provenance of a second-hand phone you buy. Be careful about buying over eBay, as it you unknowingly are faced with a stolen phone, you could have just dropped some big cash on something that won’t work.
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This is good news! I wish they had this in 09 when my husband’s phone was stolen.
With the influx of phones being stolen, this is a much needed function. Thanx!
It is about time. This is such an good way to make crime not pay. Long overdue.
This is just dumb who cares, will the companies give me a new iPhone? No, so it doesn’t make me happy now I can’t buy a phone from eBay for a fraction of the price. CDMA phones already did this so what would be new for them?
Cindra
I’m not a thief and I don’t buy stolen phones I bought all my iPhones and iPads. All I’m saying is instead of putting all the effort into making a database give the customer a deal on a new phone. This only benefits the telecommunications companies since you would have to go back to buy another phone. If I lose my phone I’m not mad I understand and I don’t expect to get it back, but the companies should focus on giving customers a deal that’s all that matters.
Can someone please tell me how consumers benefit from this? It would be great if they said if your iPhone is stolen we will give you a new one or a discount on another, but instead they are going to put it in a database where it can’t be used. Ok so I’m a phone technician and GSM phones in this case won’t work on AT&T & T-mobile, there are many other companies like H20, Simple Mobile, Red Pocket. CDMA phones can’t be used with a bad ESN meaning the bill isn’t paid or the phones is reported as lost or stolen but flashing the phone will make it available for another company. This only benefits the telecommunications companies, laws doesn’t stop crime if that was the case jails would be empty.
If I’m a thief do you think I care if the phone can’t be used people still steal CDMA phones knowing they can’t be activated after being reported stolen.
Your not going to get it back and as Owieh said in theory it works. You’ll have to buy a new iPhone the companies won’t care. You can already remote wipe all the information with Find My iPhone so this is useless unless they are going to give me a new phone or a discount.
Why do they feel they need have a database? It doesn’t benefit the consumer so I don’t understand why you would care, all I care about is getting a discount for my lost or stolen phone. All they’re trying to do is stop the reselling of phones, so consumers are forced to go back to them. If this comes to past we’ll have this discussion again after the real reason comes to light
That won’t happen because if someone has possession of your phone doesn’t mean it’s stolen. Do you think once someone tries to connect the phone the companies are going to call the cops? Like I said before when the real intention comes out which is to make money because that’s all these businesses care about, I’ll be there to tell you I told you so.
Lets not applaud the carriers here in the use for doing this now when it should have been in place years ago.
It is a good thing.
BTW…why would the carrier be obligated to replace of give a good deal on a new phone, if your is lost or stolen…get insurance for that and stop whining.
I meant to say it doesn’t mean that person stole the phone. I have over 7 different iPhones so I have no need to whine. I just don’t need any help when I didn’t ask for it that’s all the system is fine the way it is. The carriers aren’t out to get us, really? I have an AT&T iPhone with the unlimited plan which now all of a sudden became limited just as the t-mobile plan. I didn’t ask them to change this policy they did it on their own for their own greed so if someone is making a little money of the black market so be it. Leave the system alone this won’t stop theft or people losing their phones and someone finding it.
It was in place years ago with CDMA phones, if you report it lost or stolen it cannot be activated for that service.
I don’t lose my phones so I wouldn’t pay that luxury price for insurance, I’m a technician so I do the repairs caused by damage myself.
Check again because it is limited meaning that after 3GB you’ll connect at 2G speeds, that’s the same nonsense T-mobile does I got the text message from them when I reached 3GB of data but they didn’t put it to 2G though
Hey do you work for these companies or something? They chose to do this from greed but such is the American way