Australia's three major GSM mobile phone carriers, Telstra, Vodafone and Optus, all now actively block lost or stolen mobile phones.

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Richared Alston, said the blocking of International Mobile Equipment Identification (IMEI) numbers by the main carriers and other smaller carriage servce providers (CSPs) using GSM network was an important step forward in helping customers affected by mobile phone theft.

Blocking a mobile phone's IMEI number is one way to disconnect the handset from the customer's GSM network.  Blocking activities undertaken by carriers and CSPs is just one of the initiatives under the National Response Plan on future management of stolen mobiles developed by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association  (AMTA) and State and Territory police forces.

Initiatives include:

• a public education awareness campaign to encourage consumers to protect mobile phones from theft launched by AMTA in May 2002;
• all CSPs using GSM networks to block customer handsets by 1 April 2003, and
• cross-industry handset blocking to commence in mid June 2003.

An estimated 10,000 phones were reported lost or stolen in 2001.  Since it started blocking IMEIs in August 2002, Telstra has reported blocking 25,000 lost or stolen mobile phones from their GSM network.

Rebirthing of mobile phones is also a serious problem.  While handsets can be deactivated from a customer's CSP network, rebirthing is still possible using another carrier's network.  There will be a daily exchange of  blocking and unblocking information between carriers.

Consumers are also urge to "Mind their Mobile" and take more responsibility for preventing loss of theft of mobile phones.

The agreement of all GSM carriers and CSPs to engage in blocking activities is an example of how the industry is playing its part to protect mobile phone users.  Increased public awareness, together with the implementation of cross-industry blocking, and possible legislative changes, will help to deter mobile phone theft across the country.