The FCC and the Jamming of Cellphones

CellAntenna, a manufacturer of cellular radio communications solutions, has filed suit in U.S. District Court to force the FCC to allow broader sale of RF jamming equipment (CNET News.com article here). At first look, the argument is compelling: terrorist bombs can be detonated by remote control using cell phones, so let's jam the phones. Currently, the FBI has access to cellphone jammers that can be deployed but state and local law enforcement is prevented from using these devices. (CellAntenna markets these jammers, so they have a vested interest in expanding their market.) Shouldn't all law enforcement organizations be able to turn on bomb-blocking jamming equipment?

But here is the context: The Communications Act of 1934 (amended as recently as 1996) provides federal oversight of the radio spectrum. Congress correctly concluded that the radio frequency spectrum needed regulation for the public good. That is, having people transmit on any old frequency any old time they wanted would result in general chaos in the RF world. CellAntenna is asking that the FCC's authority to regulate the spectrum be overturned. This is a really, really bad idea.

Should the FCC allow local police to jam cellphones? Maybe. But there are plenty of other frequencies that terrorists could use to detonate bombs. Do the police get to jam all of those frequencies, too? Heck, a terrorist could set up an RF control link on one of the local police frequencies. Do they get to jam your WiFi network, your cordless phone, the frequencies of other police and fire departments, etc? This is a real slippery slope, which is why we have a government organization set up to regulate the spectrum and the use of radio transmitters.

But wait there's more. Some folks would like to use jammers to enforce electronic gadget politeness in public places such as theaters or concert halls. Rude behavior associated with wireless communications devices is generally perceived to be a problem. Most of us have been annoyed by the person that decides to take a cellphone call during a movie or concert. CNET reports that France has authorized the use of jamming devices to enforce cellphone-free zones. Certainly, there are people in the U.S. that would like to see this happen here.

OK, I have to admit, maybe I am just jealous that I don't get to have a cellphone jammer. This could be really handy for those times when people are practicing rude cellphone behavior, whether on the street or in a theater. Or maybe when I see someone driving down the highway with a phone stuck in their ear and not paying attention to traffic, I could just shut that call down. Hmmm, maybe I could get to like this idea.

73, Bob K0NR