Telecommunications companies are trying to prevent the reuse of stolen mobile phones

Telecom companies are trying to prevent the reuse of stolen mobile phones. US telecommunications companies are working on developing a database of stolen mobile phones, a move that is part of the latest efforts to curb the theft of mobile phones...

Telecommunications companies are trying to prevent the reuse of stolen mobile phones. US telecommunications companies are working on developing a database of stolen mobile phones, a move that is part of the latest efforts to curb theft of mobile phones. Cellphones are widely used in the United States, but the crime of stealing expensive handheld communication devices is growing in the world's largest economy. The U.S. government's Federal Communications Commission said it has reached an agreement with several large wireless communications operators to develop a database of stolen mobile phones to ultimately prevent stolen phones from being used again. FCC Chairman Genakowski said the agency is seeking to "reduce the value of stolen smartphones." Verizon and Spint Nextel, the two largest cell phone carriers, have stopped stolen phones from being rebooted, but the other two companies, AT&T and Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile, have not yet taken action. However, all four companies agreed to the anti-theft plan described above. Within the next six months, the above-mentioned operators will prevent stolen mobile phones from being re-used on their networks. The goal is to prevent stolen phones from working again on any communications network after 18 months.