Senate Committee ok's "Spectrum Chaos"

Today (08/05/2009) a Senate Committee ok'd the use of cell phone "jammers" in prisons. Here's the committee's press release with an overview of the bill:

Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Cellular Jammer Press Release

Which has prompted this "spurious emission"....

Ok, everyone - calm down a moment and read the press release (above) Yes, the lid to Pandora's Box may have been cracked open a bit today but the good news is that jammer devices have NOT been approved by the full Congress or the FCC - yet. However, because of the actions of this Senate committee, we as an industry need to work even harder to keep their bill from ever becoming law.

NOW - today - is the time for those seriously concerned about this matter to "express themselves" - before this nonsense is allowed to go very much further and the lid to Pandora's Box actually is opened completely with the possible legal approval of these "spectrum chaos" causing devices.

If you care, you need to speak out now before it's too late. Here are a couple of links with contact info to help get you started:

U.S. Senate Contact Info

U.S. House of Representatives Contact Info


I hope many of you will join me in "expressing" yourself to your Congressional Representative.


NR

Cell Phone "Jammers" = "Pandora's Box"

If you are one of those who are thinking of purchasing a so-called "signal blocker" or cell 'phone "jammer" -- an electronic device designed to curb the real or perceived inappropriate use of wireless phones in restaurants, theaters, commuter trains, hospitals, and other similar public gathering places -- and, which are being advertised and sold on numerous Internet web sites, you may not know or realize that such devices (with certain well-defined exceptions) are nonetheless illegal to use in the United States.


I won't bore you with a long dissertation on the supposed pros and cons of the devices or the consequences that could result from the unchecked and potentially dangerous use of them. Rather, I have chosen to share the following pertinent excerpts from the U.S. government and the FCC for your information instead.


FCC Public Notice DA # 05-1776 - June 27, 2005

Sale or Use of Transmitters Designed to Prevent, Jam or Interfere
with Cell Phone Communications is Prohibited in the United States

http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Public_Notices/DA-05-1776A1.html

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-1776A1.pdf


Additionally, below are what appear to be the applicable Rules regarding "signal" or "cellular jamming" or similar devices. Perhaps the Commission should be sharing this information with those who apparently are in violation both Section 302 [47 U.S.C. 302], Section 333 [U.S.C 47 333] and, possibly other sections of the Act?

Communications Act of 1934, as
Amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996

TITLE III--PROVISIONS RELATING TO RADIO
PART I--GENERAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 302. [47 U.S.C. 302] DEVICES WHICH INTERFERE WITH
RADIO RECEPTION.

(b) No person shall manufacture, import, sell, offer for sale, or
ship devices or home electronic equipment and systems, or use
devices, which fail to comply with regulations promulgated
pursuant to this section.

SEC. 333. [47 U.C.S. 333] WILLFUL OR MALICIOUS INTERFERENCE.

No person shall willfully or maliciously interfere with or
cause interference to any radio communications of any station
licensed or authorized by or under this Act or operated by the
United States Government.

TITLE V -- PENAL PROVISIONS -- FORFEITURES

SEC. 501. [47 U.S.C. 501] GENERAL PENALTY.

Any person who willfully and knowingly does or causes or suffers
to be done any act, matter, or thing, in this Act prohibited or
declared to be unlawful, or who willfully and knowingly omits or
fails to do any act, matter, or thing in this Act required to be
done, or willfully and knowingly causes or suffers such omission
or failure, shall upon conviction thereof, be punished for such
offense, for which no penalty (other than a forfeiture) is provided
in this Act, by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment
for a term not exceeding one year, or both; except that any person,
having been once convicted of an offense punishable under this
section, who is subsequently convicted of violating any provision
of this Act punishable under this section, shall be punished by a
fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for a term not
exceeding two years, or both.

SEC. 502. [47 U.S.C. 502] VIOLATION OF RULES, REGULATIONS,
AND SO FORTH.

Any person who willfully and knowingly violates any rule,
regulation, restriction, or condition made or imposed by the
Commission under authority of this Act, or any rule, regulation,
restriction, or condition made or imposed by any international
radio or wire communications treaty or convention, or regulations
annexed thereto, to which the United States is or may hereafter
become a party, shall, in addition to any other penalties provided
by law, be punished, upon conviction thereof, by a fine of not
more than $500 for each and every day during which such offense
occurs.

SEC. 510. [47 U.S.C. 510] FORFEITURE OF COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES.

(a) Any electronic, electromagnetic, radio frequency, or similar
device, or component thereof, used, sent, carried, manufactured,
assembled, possessed, offered for sale, sold, or advertised with
willful and knowing intent to violate section 301 or 302, or
rules prescribed by the Commission under such sections,
may be seized and forfeited to the United States.

The text of the entire Act can be found here:

http://www.fcc.gov/Reports/1934new.pdf


In view of the above, consider yourselves forewarned about the use of "jammers" ......because spectum matters.


NR

Say So Long to your Analog Cell Phone and Television

A reminder for those who haven't been paying attention, may have forgotten, or, are an analog wireless die-hard in the new digital world......(believe it or not, there are still many folks out there who fall into one or more of these categories!)

The FCC has issued a public notice that as of midnight on February 18, 2008, cellular telephone companies will not be required to provide analog wireless service. While most wireless telephone users will not be affected by this transition (often called the "analog cellular sunset"), some users may be affected.

In addition, the transition could affect some wireless alarm systems and some users of OnStar's in-vehicle communications service.

For more information about your options after Feb 18, 2008, you might want to read the FCC's factsheet at: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/analogcellphone.html

Don't confuse the analog cellular sunset with the up-coming DTV (digital television) transition.

In addition to the analog-to-digital transition for wireless telephone service, Congress has separately set a deadline of February 17, 2009, for completion of the transition from analog-to-digital television broadcasting. (Yep - your analog TV set has (or will) also become obsolete relatively soon)

To learn more about how the digital television transition will affect you, visit www.dtv.gov

NR