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The Telecom Digest for March 7, 2012
Volume 31 : Issue 63 : "text" Format
====== 30 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======
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Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
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Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:09:06 +1100
From: David Clayton <dc33box-usenet@yahoo.com.au>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Is the Philadelphia Cell Phone Jammer a Hero or Pest?
Message-ID: <pan.2012.03.06.09.09.06.71330@yahoo.com.au>
https://mashable.com/2012/03/05/philadelphia-cell-phone-jammer/
Is the Philadelphia Cell Phone Jammer a Hero or Pest?
Alissa Skelton
No service? Maybe you've been zapped by a cell phone jammer.
A Philadelphia man has stirred up controversy after he frequently used
a device on a public bus to create a cell phone dead zone.
A reporter for "NBC [TV Channel] 10" in Philadelphia recently tracked
down the man, who was using a cell phone jammer on the bus to block
riders' cell phone reception. His reason -- he didn't want to listen
to other people's phone conversations. He says he turns on the illegal
device whenever other passengers talk too loud and bother him.
The man, identified as Eric, told NBC reporters: "I guess I'm taking
the law into my own hands, and quite frankly, I'm proud of it."
A jammer typically looks similar to a walkie-talkie and has multiple
antennae pointing out of the top of the device. Its job is to jam,
block or interfere with wireless communication including Wi-Fi, cell
phone reception, GPS and police radar.
Section 302(b) of the Communication Act of 1934 [PDF] prohibits the
"marketing, sale or use" of jammers. The federal government and
companies contracted to do federal work, typically related to homeland
security, are the only ones permitted to use jammers. Like many
uninformed people who have jammers, Eric said he thought a jammer was
legal to use.
"We are troubled by the reported incident and are looking into it",
Michelle Ellison, Chief of the Federal Communication Commission
Enforcement Bureau, said in an email regarding the Philadelphia
incident.
Although the device is illegal, bus riders aren't the only ones who
have wanted to shut people up using a jammer. The FCC has investigated
the use of cell phone jammers in schools and theaters. Some
administrators apparently think a cell phone jammer would be an easy
way to stop students from using their cell phones during school
hours. Theaters find cell phone jammers appealing to prevent people
from using phones during shows.
"While some people who use jammers may think they are only silencing
loud conversations or disabling unwanted GPS tracking, they could also
be preventing a scared teenager from calling 911, an elderly person
from placing an urgent call to a doctor, or a rescue team from homing
in on the location of a severely injured person", Ellison said. "The
price for one person's moment of peace or privacy, could very well be
the safety and well-being of others".
Jammers are a problem because they block licensing frequencies that
are not owned by the jammer and it's illegal to interfere with any
licensing frequency. Jammers can block signals within a few dozen to
hundreds of feet. The FCC is most concerned with jammers blocking
emergency responders communication with callers.
People in the U.S. typical buy jammers online. The FCC is trying hard
to prevent other countries from selling and shipping jammers to
America, but some jammers slip through the mail. The UK, Canada,
Switzerland and Australia also don't allow cell phone jammers.
In October 2011, the FCC warned 20 online retailers about the
illegality of selling and marketing signal jamming devices to
Americans. But, with a quick Google search away, an American can order
a cell phone jammer online.
"Our actions should send a strong message to retailers of signal
jamming devices [that selling them] in the U.S. is illegal and that
the FCC will vigorously prosecute these violations", Ellison said in a
press release.
The U.S. tries hard to keep jammers out, but, the network blockers can
be manufactured and exported in the U.S. The FCC said it isn't aware
of any cell phone jammer manufacturing violations in the U.S.
Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2012 13:44:41 -0500
From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Is the Philadelphia Cell Phone Jammer a Hero or Pest?
Message-ID: <20120306184441.GA32338@telecom.csail.mit.edu>
On Tue, Mar 06, 2012 at 08:09:06PM +1100, David Clayton wrote:
>
> https://mashable.com/2012/03/05/philadelphia-cell-phone-jammer/
>
>
> Is the Philadelphia Cell Phone Jammer a Hero or Pest?
Neither: he's just human.
> No service? Maybe you've been zapped by a cell phone jammer.
>
> A Philadelphia man has stirred up controversy after he frequently
> used a device on a public bus to create a cell phone dead zone.
I applaud him. His reactions were as predictable as the fistfights
that broke out on public buses and trains when "Boom Boxes" were
introduced: riders who were brought up to follow the rules of common
courtesy are entitled to be offended when rude and selfish people
arrogate the privilege of intruding on others' thoughts and personal
space.
Bill
--
Bill Horne
(Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)
Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2012 05:58:16 +0000 (UTC)
From: David Lesher <wb8foz@panix.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Is the Philadelphia Cell Phone Jammer a Hero or Pest?
Message-ID: <jj6tdn$cdm$1@reader1.panix.com>
Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> writes:
>>
>> Is the Philadelphia Cell Phone Jammer a Hero or Pest?
>Neither: he's just human.
>> No service? Maybe you've been zapped by a cell phone jammer.
>>
>> A Philadelphia man has stirred up controversy after he frequently
>> used a device on a public bus to create a cell phone dead zone.
I have a different solution. I hold up my antique flipphone,
and tell the gabber I record people for my "What people say in
public" website......
--
A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433
Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2012 13:41:38 -0800
From: dplatt@radagast.org (Dave Platt)
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Is the Philadelphia Cell Phone Jammer a Hero or Pest?
Message-ID: <itci29-nut.ln1@radagast.org>
In article <pan.2012.03.06.09.09.06.71330@yahoo.com.au>,
David Clayton <dc33box-usenet@yahoo.com.au> wrote:
>
>https://mashable.com/2012/03/05/philadelphia-cell-phone-jammer/
>
>
>Is the Philadelphia Cell Phone Jammer a Hero or Pest?
>Alissa Skelton
>
>No service? Maybe you've been zapped by a cell phone jammer.
>
>A Philadelphia man has stirred up controversy after he frequently used
>a device on a public bus to create a cell phone dead zone.
>
>A reporter for "NBC [TV Channel] 10" in Philadelphia recently tracked
>down the man, who was using a cell phone jammer on the bus to block
>riders' cell phone reception. His reason -- he didn't want to listen
>to other people's phone conversations. He says he turns on the illegal
>device whenever other passengers talk too loud and bother him.
Fascinating.
I first read about this specific scenario in Ray Bradbury's short
story "The Murderer", published in his collection "Golden Apples of
the Sun".
It was written in 1953! Bradbury accurately predicted the "all
chatter, all the time" culture which would arise from having
ubiquitous personal communication devices, and the fact that some
people would find the constant babble-babble-babble to be quite
maddening and would strike back at it.
--
Dave Platt <dplatt@radagast.org> AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page:
http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do not wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!
Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:57:45 -0500
From: Pete Cresswell <PeteCress@invalid.telecom-digest.org>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Is the Philadelphia Cell Phone Jammer a Hero or Pest?
Message-ID: <e1gdl7p9o5rqh21n6vbdnm3n0q6r21eprn@4ax.com>
Per David Clayton:
>
>https://mashable.com/2012/03/05/philadelphia-cell-phone-jammer/
>
Sounds like an idea for restaurants. Maybe a "Cell-Phone-Free"
area and a regular area.
--
Pete Cresswell
Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2012 06:59:59 +0000 (UTC)
From: David Lesher <wb8foz@panix.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: MD 667 overlay
Message-ID: <jj711f$3i3$4@reader1.panix.com>
Got a bill stuffer; MD is getting a 667 overlay atop 410/443.
This is a major non-event, in that no one need change anything of note.
[As opposed to a resplit; which is worse each time around.]
http://webapp.psc.state.md.us/intranet/Telecom/Area%20Code%20FAQs_v3.htm
--
A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433
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