How is this legal? (selling cellphone and other radio jammers)

[VK5RC]

A year or so ago, we had a talk given by one of our ACMA compliance officers (i think one of about 4 for Australia!), re cell phone jammers - they (ACMA)  are really are clamping down, cinemas and Taxi drivers seem to be some of the common places.

[JoeN]

One wonders if you couldn't create an effective jammer with a spark-gap transmitter.  Cars certainly have a pretty good DC power source.  Then you could play stupid and crazy ("warding off evil spirits, officer") rather than smart and criminal. 

[helius]

A year or so ago, we had a talk given by one of our ACMA compliance officers (i think one of about 4 for Australia!), re cell phone jammers - they (ACMA)  are really are clamping down, cinemas and Taxi drivers seem to be some of the common places.

Perhaps they could get their priorities straight and start arresting the buffoons who use smartphones in cinemas, ruining it for everybody else.

[ataradov]

A bit of news close to the topic: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/18/02/20/1843213/fcc-orders-a-brooklyn-man-to-turn-off-his-bitcoin-miner-because-it-was-interfering-with-t-mobiles-wireless-network

[rstofer]

Things are changing and even Japan allows the use of jammers in certain public venues.  Churches have tried it in the US but I don't think our laws have caught up.

There are many reasons to block cell phones.  Museums, art galleries, churches, any place where cell phones are obnoxious (just about everywhere).  Just notify the customers with signs at the entrance stating that their phones will be blocked and call it good.

[apelly]

There are many reasons to block cell phones.  Museums, art galleries, churches, any place where cell phones are obnoxious (just about everywhere).  Just notify the customers with signs at the entrance stating that their phones will be blocked and call it good.

I recall hearing about French cinemas trying this out. I believe there were concerns about access to emergency services if the signal was completely blocked. I believe they've settled on a more sophisticated system that selectively blocks calls.

Sorry, I have no citation at hand.

[rfeecs]

I saw a film in this theater last year.  No cell phone reception at all.  The indoor theater is on the other side of the outdoor screen.

[Nusa]

Of course you don't need a jammer to kill cell phones if you have a properly shielded room/building to start with. Looks like that might be the case here.

[JoeN]

I saw a film in this theater last year.  No cell phone reception at all.  The indoor theater is on the other side of the outdoor screen.

That's funny and a nice simple solution.  I would think if it is not an active jammer but it is just a Faraday cage like this it would be legal even in the U.S.

[Bassman59]

That's funny and a nice simple solution.  I would think if it is not an active jammer but it is just a Faraday cage like this it would be legal even in the U.S.

Well, yeah, because the licenses regulate transmission. You don't need a license to receive anything, which means (among other things) that there's no guarantee that you can receive a given signal. Nothing in any building code says that the structure has to be transparent to RF!

[Richard Crowley]

You don't need a license to receive anything,

Actually, at least in the US, it is not legal to receive certain transmissions, namely mobile phone.  Note that most legal gear sold in the US is made with intentional gaps in coverage of the cell phone bands.  Unless of course, you are using a proper mobile phone for its intended purpose. There are exemptions for military, law-enforcement, etc.

[Ice-Tea]

Yes. A Chinese company was exporting cellphone jammers to US for years, and it was fined by FCC tens of millions of dollars in 2016.

Heh.  How is that payment coming along?

Don't know, it was a fairly big private company, and it made headlines in China. I guess either the company paid the fine and sell to government/military, or the company said F you and withdrew from US market.

My guess: close the shop, open a new one three doors down the road, come up with a new brand name, print new stickers, done.

[Red Squirrel]

That's funny and a nice simple solution.  I would think if it is not an active jammer but it is just a Faraday cage like this it would be legal even in the U.S.

Well, yeah, because the licenses regulate transmission. You don't need a license to receive anything, which means (among other things) that there's no guarantee that you can receive a given signal. Nothing in any building code says that the structure has to be transparent to RF!

I wonder if they will ever try to stick something like that in building code.  Especially with all the spy stuff in devices now days like smart TVs and all that stuff.  The signal has to get out to reach the mothership somehow!   Of course they'll try to pass it as some kind of safety thing, like if you can't use your cell in your house you can't call 911, since most people don't have landlines anymore.

[Lord of nothing]

How about Jam Digital Transmissions by Random Package?
Here we have an Company who realy piss me off.