no signal? Maybe you are hit by a cell phone jammer. A Philadelphia man sparked controversy after frequently using devices on public buses to create cellphone dead zones.
A NBC10 reporter in Philadelphia recently tracked down the person who used a mobile phone jammer on the bus to stop the driver from receiving the phone. His reason-he didn’t want to hear other people’s calls. He said that if other passengers were too loud and disturbed him, he would open illegal equipment.
The man named Eric told the NBC reporter: “I think I have the law, and frankly, I am proud of it.”
The jammer is usually similar to a walkie-talkie and has multiple antennas pointing to the top of the device. Its job is to disrupt, prevent or disrupt wireless communications, including WiFi, mobile phone reception, GPS and police radar.
Section 302(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 prohibits the “marketing, sale or use” of portable jammer . The federal government and companies responsible for federal work usually related to internal safety can only use jammers. Like many jammers, Eric said jammers are legal.
The Federal Communications Commission Law Enforcement Director Michelle Ellison said in an email about the Philadelphia incident: “We are concerned about the reported incident and are investigating it.”
Although the device is illegal, it is not the only bus driver trying to silence people with jammers. The FCC has investigated the use of mobile phone jammers in schools and theaters. Some administrators seem to think that using cell phone jammers is an easy way to prevent students from using cell phones during school hours. Mobile phone jammers are very popular in theaters to prevent people from using the show during the show.
“Although some people who use jammers think they can only silence conversations loudly or disable unwanted GPS tracking, they can also prevent scared teenagers from calling 911, old people calling doctors or making calls. They are looking for serious injuries Location,” Ellison said. “A person’s peace or privacy moments are likely to be the safety and well-being of others.”
Jammers are a problem because they block unlicensed frequencies that are not jammers, and it is illegal to interfere with unlicensed frequencies. Jammers can block signals in the range of tens to hundreds of feet. FCC is most concerned about jammers, these jammers will prevent emergency personnel from communicating with the caller.
Americans usually buy jammers online. The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tried to prevent other countries from selling and sending jammers to the United States, but some jamming opportunities leaked mail. The United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland and Australia are also not allowed to use cell phone jammers.
In October 2011, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warned 20 online retailers to ban the sale and marketing of interference signals to Americans. However, through Google’s quick search, Americans can order cell phone jammers online.
Ellison said in a press release: “Our actions should send a strong message to signal disruptors that we will not tolerate continued violations of federal laws.”
The United States attempts to prevent interference, but it can manufacture and export programs to block the network in the United States. The FCC stated that it is unaware of violations of cell phone jammers in the United States.