Digicel Takes Action Against Phone Theft by Blocking Signal from Stolen Phones

Digicel, one of Jamaica’s largest telecommunication companies, is taking action against phone theft by blocking stolen devices from connecting to any local mobile networks. This is part of a larger industry-wide initiative to stop the sale of stolen phones, further protecting victims of phone theft.

Digicel’s Jamaica CEO Jabbor Kayumov issued a statement that “very soon, stolen phones will no longer work on any network in Jamaica.” He indicated that the telecommunications company is currently “working diligently through collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology and industry stakeholders” to implement a cross-network solution to phone theft.

He emphasized the dire need for this solution, given the increasing crime rate of stolen phones, which leads to victims being injured and killed. Customers of Digicel can currently report their lost or stolen phones, which results in the device being disconnected from Digicel.

Cross-network blocking, on the other hand, disables the stolen phone and adds it to a national database that stops it from being reconnected to any network on the island. CEO Kayumov urged all consumers to report any phone theft to the authorities and recommended smartphone owners use apps that could help them track their devices and protect their data.