Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) ban on the online sale of SMS transmitters and warned the public against the use of devices, including illegal signal boosters and jammers. Although these devices are designed to help during times of extreme disasters, they can cause widespread network interference and affect the normal use of public communications.
Hazards of the devices
In an advisory, Globe Telecom said the use of illegal devices can cause a variety of network problems, including slow or failed network connections, dropped calls, poor voice quality, and even complete loss of mobile phone signal. Signal boosters appear to be beneficial by “occupying” the bandwidth of a base station to enhance network coverage and signal in a specific area, but in fact they interfere with radio waves and affect the mobile signal of other users near the booster.
Types of illegal devices and their impact
Illegal signal boosters often come in the form of indoor or outdoor antennas or wireless adapters. These devices “occupy” the bandwidth of a base station by boosting the signal in a specific area, thereby interfering with the normal service provided by the base station to other users. This interference not only affects the quality of users’ calls, but also causes interruptions in network connections and signal loss.
