The Canadian government has initiated a 90-day public comment period to license technology licenses to prevent the improper use of mobile phones in restaurants, theaters and concert halls. With the exception of Israel, most countries prohibit the use of technologies that interfere with jammers or interfere with cell phone signals. David Warnes, a senior adviser in spectrum policy, said Industry Canada hopes to “allow as many listeners to use mobile phone silencers as possible.” Vaughans said the Industry Canada of Ottawa hopes to help the public determine whether it should consider applying for a license for these devices.
Warnes said that Canada will decide to change its current licensing policy by the end of the year, which prohibits the use of portable jammer technology through public security, law enforcement, and other government agencies. Ottawa Canadian Wireless Communications Association spokesman Mark Joma believes that any technology that can prevent the use of mobile phones in Canada should remain illegal, mainly because it may interfere with public safety communications. He said: “Public safety is our biggest concern because many fire and police departments use the same frequency as the public telephone system.”
Qiao Ma said he believes that social pressure will eventually slow down the offensive use of mobile phones in inappropriate places. He said: “As time passes, society will determine acceptable behavior.” An industry association composed of Ottawa-based equipment manufacturers and service providers-the Canadian Radio Advisory Committee (RABC) said that if the technology is used, Industry Canada and manufacturers of mobile phone silencers will be potentially “legally affected.” RABC’s Mobile and Personal Communications Committee partially stated in a position paper issued in November: “Denial of service (especially emergency services) may have a legal impact on service providers. Industry Canada, Jam Technology Providers and RABC all have public The operator of the venue (concert hall, etc.), where some damage or loss has occurred, especially if life may be lost or killed.”
Elliott Hamilton, an analyst at the Washington Strategy Group, said he believes that using cell phone jammers “is a simple problem. Entrepreneurs should be able to accomplish what they want to do in their own premises. As long as they Signal does not enter the public space, I will not find any interference.”