Mexican Government and operators sign an agreement against mobile terminals theft

GSMA LA and mobile operators from Mexico signed an agreement which sets the commitment made on July 17, with the support of the President Calderon and the Secretary of Transport and Telecommunications Pérez-Jácome.

The four main mobile operators, with the participation of the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, signed the “Agreement to avoid mobile theft at a regional level”, which was carried out in the Emperatriz chapel at the National Palace of Mexico.

Iusacell, Nextel, Telcel and Telefonica presented to the President of Mexico the “black lists” of mobile devices reported as stolen that will start to be exchanged through the IMEI database of GSMA, in order to lock those devices and avoid the crime related to mobile phones theft.

From September 1, 2012 every stolen phone in Mexico will be locked said Felipe Calderón Hinojosa at the official ceremony and added: “I am very pleased that today mobile operators from Mexico reached this important commitment, since the Federal Government will have the chance to exchange these records with the authorities from other countries in order to avoid mobile phones theft in the entire region. Thus, we will address this serious problem of terminals theft that affects many Mexicans, especially when this is the only way for the poorest families to communicate”.

Fernando José Cabrera García, Legal Director of Iusacell, Gustavo Cantú Durán, Corporate Vice president of Nextel México, Patrick Slim Domit, Co-President of the Management Council of America Movil, Juan Antonio Abellán Ríos, counselor and CEO of Telefonica México, and Sebastian Cabello, Director of GSMA Latin America were the Mexican operator representatives that signed the agreement.

At the event, was also a representative of the National Association of Telecommunications (ANATEL) – Raúl Lucido de la Parra, and Dionisio Pérez-Jácome Friscione, Secretary of Transport and Telecommunications of Mexico, who assured that: “In this way, it will be possible that the Secretariat of Transport and Telecommunications shares this information with authorities of other countries, in order to prevent that the stolen or lost devices here may be unlocked out of Mexico. Furthermore, the information that we will receive from other countries it will help to lock in Mexico the stolen or lost devices abroad”.

The agreement arose after the commitment signed on July 13 by regional groups of operators to begin to exchange information through the IMEI database of GSMA and cooperate with the initiatives of regional Governments in reducing the crime related to mobile phones theft. At the ceremony, the Director of GSMA Latam, Sebastián Cabello presented: “We emphasize that the Federal Government has been able to act promptly from what is becoming a regional consensus action, which has been discussed at the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission, and has used the available tools, as our base IMEI data of the GSMA, which has a global reach, to give a local solution to the crime of theft and also contribute regionally to reduce it. It is then for the GSMA, a great pleasure to participate in this event that accounts for how the collaboration of the industry and government can find solutions to social problems and needs“.

At the end of his speech, the President Calderon pointed out the rol of the GSMA in this initiative: “I want to thank the colaboration of the GSM Association to sign this commitment. Be sure that the Secretariat of Transport and Telecomunications will continue working with the operators, the users and all mexicans in order to build a safer country with quality services for everyone”.

Resources

  • Videos: See the full video of the ceremony and the speech of the President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa.
  • Speeches: Read the full speeches of the agreement.
  • Photos: See the photo gallery of the ceremony.
  • Press release: Website of the presidency of Mexico.