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Vodacom's Equipment ID Register (EIR) tracks stolen or lost phones. EIR extracts the serial number of a phone making a call, comparing it to serial numbers on a special watch list. Two types of EIR classifications are possible: one is a grey list and the other a more severe blacklist. Grey listed phones can still log on to the network, but will be tracked. The identity of the person using that phone can be determined from the unique digital signature of the subscriber-specific SIM card being used in that phone. Depending on the circumstances, the unsuspecting user may be informed that the phone actually belongs to someone else. Grey listed phones might include those mistakenly left in restaurants, pubs, or even on car roofs. Blacklisted phones will include stolen phones. Black listing of a phone will prevent it's use on any GSM network in the world, rendering it completely worthless until it's debarred. Debarring however can only be done by a GSM network. GSM networks in each GSM signatory country will supply a list of errant phones to the GSM headquarters in Dublin Ireland, where the international database will be collated and updated weekly, then disseminated to each and every GSM network around the world.
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