Pan African Effort to Block Stolen GSM Handsets

Kenya's mobile phone service provider's Safaricom and Kencell have launched a service to block the IMEI serial numbers of stolen handsets. The new system will be jointly operated by the two mobile phone firm's alongside other leading regional service operators in conjunction with the respective police authorities.

Speaking during the system activation ceremony at a Nairobi hotel, Safaricom's chief executive officer Michael Joseph said the two firms have invested more than US$1.3 million in the new system.

Philippe Vandebrouck KenCell Communications Ltd. managing director and chief executive officer said, "proliferation of mobile phone theft has frustrated many subscribers and it is our desire to enable our subscribers use their handsets easily and conveniently."

Other regional mobile phone service providers in the region such as Tanzania'a Celtel, Vodacom, Mobitel and Zantel as well as Uganda's MTN, UTL and Celtel Uganda have joined forces to ensure the schemes success.

All the regional mobile phone service providers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) binding them to offer reciprocal stolen phones blacklisting services on their networks.

"Each GSM phone features a unique factory preset serial number that cannot be altered in any way. Using this feature, the EIR system will blacklist all mobile phones reported stolen on the Safaricom and the Yes! Network among the other East Africa service provides thus rendering it useless," Joseph explained.

Upon recovery, the EIR system helps to find the original owner and is subsequently removed from the blacklist, allowing the owner to use it again, he added."

Posted to the site on 5th January 2004