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THE
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is calling
for a concerted effort and collaboration with other
countries in adopting a global database of blacklisted
mobile phones.
The
agency conveyed this message to the Malaysian
Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the
regulator for the converging communications and
multimedia industry in
Malaysia,
during its visit to the NTC last week.
NTC
Commissioner Ruel Canobas said the purpose of the visit
was for the MCMC to learn from the Philippine experience
in mobile-phone blocking.
The
NTC’s counterpart in
Malaysia
wanted to gain insights and perspectives on the policies
for consumer welfare adopted in the country.
“They
were here last week and we made a presentation about
mobile- phone blocking in the Philippines. We informed
them of our existing policies, the actions we have taken
to address the problem, the current issues we face, and
the measures to address these concerns,” said Canobas.
The
commission said there is an international market for
stolen phones and these handsets might be exported to
other countries and vice versa.
It
proposed that countries should share with one another a
database of blacklisted handsets to avert the
proliferation of stolen, fake mobile phones; sale of
reconditioned mobile phones; and handsets with tampered
international mobile equipment identity (IMEI).
The NTC
also proposed the creation of a “second level of
security” in coordination with cell-phone manufacturers.
Mobile-phone thefts are on the rise in the last few
years. This illegal activity, said the commission, is
still prevalent in the country, although the number of
stolen mobile phones has significantly dropped over the
years since mobile-phone blocking was introduced.
“We
shared with them the circulars we issued to strengthen
the NTC efforts against mobile phone theft and the
collaboration with the industry players and various
agencies,” said Canobas.
When the
blocking of reported loss or stolen mobile-phones was
first implemented in 2002, there were 20,880 blocked
mobile phones, or 0.13 percent of the total number of
users.
The
following year, the number decreased to 15,411, or .068
percent of the total number of users. In 2004, 2005 and
2006, the number decreased to 12,936 (.039 percent of
total users); 12,057 (.035 percent of total users); and
11,734 (0.031 percent of total users), respectively.
Last
year the number of blocked mobile phones increased to
13,287. However, this number is 0.24 percent of the
total number of users, still lower than the 0.31
registered in 2006.
The NTC
said there appears to be a correlation between the
number of blocked phones and the mobile-phone theft
crime rate in the country but not all loss of cellular
phones are due to theft. Some were reported lost or
misplaced.
In 2002
the NTC entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA)
with the telcos, broadcast companies, nongovernment
organizations in electronics and telecommunications for
the blocking of reported lost or stolen mobile phones.
The MOA
mandated telcos to block mobile phones reported to and
ordered blocked by the NTC.
“The
telcos, among them, include Smart Communications Inc.,
Pilipino Telephone Corp. and Globe Telecom, undertake
the blocking in their respective networks only upon
orders of the commission,” stated the NTC paper
presented to the MCMC.
It is
the NTC which directs the telcos to block the IMEI of
the handset. It is also responsible for the
determination of the accuracy of the report on theft. |
