タグ別アーカイブ: cell phone

Bearing a resemblance to a walkie-talkie, the phone blocker is a device of significant power. Once turned on, this small contraption can effectively block all cell phone signals in the nearby area. The use of such a device is not only a federal offense, but can also result in a substantial $16,000 fine and potential jail time.

Eric, a Philadelphia native, refused to be discouraged by the situation. He became increasingly fed up with the incessant cell phone conversations on SEPTA 44 buses. To avoid being subjected to these discussions, Eric resorted to activating a jamming device.

Eric noted that a large portion of the population is loud and shows no regard for privacy. To deal with the annoyance, he adjusts the antenna and turns on the device.

The use of jammers, like the ones utilized in this particular case, is against the law as they have the ability to block emergency cell phone communications and interfere with essential signals, such as police radios and other two-way radios.

Eric announced that since discovering its illegality, he is preparing to discard the jammer he bought, an item estimated to be worth $300 by ABC News.

Buying a jammer is easy, but where can you use it?

The deliberate interference with electromagnetic frequencies, also known as jamming, has been integrated into a range of devices and is increasingly being offered to individuals and organizations. Despite being illegal in most parts of the world, jammers are becoming smaller, more portable, easier to use, and cheaper. While some jammers block communications indiscriminately, there are specialized devices designed to block specific signals. The most popular among these are mobile phone jammers, wifi jammers, drone blocker, and gps jammers.

The reason why most national authorities disapprove of the use of these devices is that they tend to have a greater impact than expected. Even when used with good intentions, such as blocking mobile phone usage in schools, theaters, and hospitals, or preventing drones from flying over private property, the interference can extend far beyond the intended range. Unintended consequences like dropped 911 calls, drones falling from the sky, and impaired air traffic control have led countries like South Africa and Israel to make them completely illegal.

Jammers are commonly deployed around prisons and detention centers to hinder unauthorized and unmonitored communications between prisoners and detainees and the outside world. Some countries, such as Brazil, India, New Zealand, and Sweden, have granted exemptions or are contemplating exemptions for the use of mobile phones and wifijammer around prisons, while in the UK, this practice has been legal since 2012.

A number of countries have sanctioned or recommended the expansion of jammer deployment. In India, for instance, jammers can be utilized in educational institutions, places of worship, and entertainment venues as long as the signal disruption is contained within the boundaries of the respective locations. Although jammers were previously approved for use in settings such as theaters and concert halls, this authorization was terminated in 2012.

In the scenario where you find yourself in possession of a legally owned cell phone jammer, what options are available to you? It may be worth considering booking your next flight to Ukraine, as this country has implemented measures to prevent students from using mobile phones to cheat in exams. Consequently, Ukraine has become one of the few nations where the use of jammers is authorized.

A resident of the town of Messanges in southwestern France could spend six months behind bars after unwittingly taking down telephony and mobile internet services in his neighborhood with a signal jammers.

Surprisingly, though, his actions were not malicious. He only wanted to prevent his teenage kids from using their mobile devices to go online after bedtime.

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According to the French planning and radio frequency management agency (ANFR), a local mobile phone operator filed an unusual complaint this month – just before midnight and until 3 AM every of the week, the residents of Messanges could not use their cellular and mobile internet services.

Following an investigation, the ANFR determined that a signal phone jammer, a device prohibited in many European countries including France, was blocking radio frequencies in the area.

Around 1:30 am, a technician traced the source of the signal to a residence in the coastal town. The next day investigators, accompanied by police, knocked on the door of the man, who immediately admitted he was using a multi-band jammer.

“The gps blocker had been installed by the father of the family to prevent his teenagers from accessing the internet with their smartphone instead of going to bed,” the ANFR explained. “His children had indeed become addicted to social networks and other applications, in particular since the confinement imposed due to Covid-19. After consulting forums on the internet, the father decided that a jammer was the best solution to put an end to his kids’ excessive screen time.”

On top of possible jail time, the illicit possession and use of a jammer bring a financial penalty of up to €30,000.

“The ANFR agent, in addition to demanding that he turn off the wifi blocker and no longer use it, reminded the owner of the equipment of the regulatory framework,” the agency added.

The man also had to pay an intervention fee of 450 euros.

Some people fear that cell phone jammers could disrupt phone service for law-abiding people close to prisons. However, modern jamming technology can be narrowly targeted to minimize disruption to people outside of prison walls.

It’s time to fix the federal regulations that prohibit jamming device technology and give prisons the tools they need to fight contraband.

Installing jammers in prisons would turn inmates’ cell phones into paperweights, disrupting their criminal networks and drying up a major source of contraband.

Risks of GPS Dependence

Overreliance on GPS signals is rampant in day-to-day life from data networks, financial systems, health networks, rail, road, aviation and marine transport, to shipping and agriculture. Military platforms commonly use GPS to find their position, navigate and execute missions.

With different systems sharing GPS dependency, a loss of signal could cause the simultaneous failure of many things people rely on daily.

The European Commission estimated that six to seven percent of its countries’ GDP, representing a whopping $1 trillion, is already dependent on satellite radio navigation in Europe alone.

BAE and Lockheed are not alone in their efforts to develop better, more robust systems. Other countries have developed their systems, including Russia’s GLONASS, the European Union’s Galileo system, and China’s COMPASS.

Another related issue is the use of GPS. The FAA has been working to upgrade aging radar-based systems with GPS networks for air traffic control and positioning. It should improve safety and pilot awareness. But GPS signals are notoriously vulnerable to disruption: They’re relatively weak to begin with, using just 25 watts to send signals from satellites that are roughly 12,500 miles above the Earth. It’s so easy to block such signals that GPS jammers are sold online for $30.

Simply allocating specific radio spectrum to particular devices does not entirely solve the problem either. A recent example is LightSquared, a company that wants to build a network of 40,000 towers across the country to deliver broadband Internet access using the 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) wireless data protocols. The company wants to use a frequency spectrum near the existing GPS L1 band. (Consumer GPS devices typically rely on L1 signals, in the 1575.42 MHz wavelength.)