Blacklisted Handsets

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Blacklisted Handsets

mikal

172 posts

Master Geek

#16078 23-Sep-2007 23:31

Obviously a handset will be useless on the Vodafone network if the user reports it stolen/lost. Vodafone will block the IMEI from accessing the network.
But what is going to happen when Telecom comes into the market with the same sought of network as Vodafone? Are they going to share a blacklisted IMEI database?

What is the case with this with places like Australia with multiple network providers? if one of their user reports a phone barred will it be barred across all the other competitor networks?

tonyhughes

Hawkes Bay
8476 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#87836 24-Sep-2007 08:02

I don't see any competitive advantage to either network to incur the cost of sharing this information.

Thats not to say they won't do it though.

I would think that they would go it alone, unless/until it became a widepsread problem...

Panq

42 posts

Geek

#87841 24-Sep-2007 09:03

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imei#Blacklist_of_stolen_devices

When mobile equipment is stolen or lost, the operator or owner will typically contact the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) which blacklists the device in all operator switches so that it will in effect become unusable, making theft of mobile equipment a useless business.

The IMEI number is not supposed to be easy to change, making the CEIR blacklisting effective. However this is not always the case: IMEI may be easy to change with special tools and operators may even flatly ignore the CEIR blacklist.

coffeebaron

6231 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#87842 24-Sep-2007 09:10

There is an international database of blocked handsets that network operators can subscribe too. I believe Vodafone (worldwide) do. It would be up to Telecom to do the same.
http://www.gsmworld.com/using/security/index.shtml

Rural IT and Broadband support.

Broadband troubleshooting and master filter installs.
Starlink installer - one month free: https://www.starlink.com/?referral=RC-32845-88860-71
Wi-Fi and networking
Cel-Fi supply and installer - boost your mobile phone coverage legally

Need help in Auckland, Waikato or BoP? Click my email button, or email me direct: [my user name] at geekzonemail dot com

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79253 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#87854 24-Sep-2007 10:15

coffeebaron: There is an international database of blocked handsets that network operators can subscribe too. I believe Vodafone (worldwide) do. It would be up to Telecom to do the same.
http://www.gsmworld.com/using/security/index.shtml

Yep, the IMEID DB is the same CEIR referred on the previous post. It's up to the operator to subscribe to the service though.