Cell Phone Jammers: A Great Technology and Policy Case Study

I once had, what I took to be, a brilliant idea. Develop a device that jams cell phones by broadcasting a short-range signal in the same frequency range that they use. Perfect for libraries, theathers, and nice restaurants where you'd not want some kid's cell phone ringing with J-Z's latest hit when their mom calls.

As with most good, simple ideas - its already been done.

While it didn't turn out to be a great business opportunity for me, it does make for a fantastic technology and policy case study. This has ESD 10 written all over it.

The New York Time's reports on this story

There are regulations from the 1930s banning people from messing with government-licenced spectrum. Probably made great sense at the time. Technology has advanced though, but the regulations have not become more sophisticated along with it. The regulations make cell-phone jamming technology, even on private property, illegal.

The Federal Communications Commission points specifically to the Federal Communications Act of 1934, which says that "no person shall willfully or maliciously interfere with or cause interference to any radio communications" licensed by the government.

So why don't we rewrite these clearly out-dated regulations to match with today's technological reality? I would assume there's several reasons. Lack of capacity at the FCC and institutional inertia both probably play a role.

Trouble is the politically influential telecom companies love these antiquated regulations. We've got a classic Olsonian collective action problem here. The telecom companies really hate the idea of cell phone jammers. Jammers would reduce the number of minutes we spend racking up our cell phone bills, costing them millions. While on the other hand, the rest of us would welcome jammers in certain public situations. We just don't care enough to make a stink about it. Concentrated costs, diffuse benefits.

"You're not allowed to barricade the street in front of your house because you don't like hearing an ambulance," said Travis Larson, a spokesman for the Cellular Telephone Industry Association, who asserts that blocking systems inhibit customers' rights and can block emergency calls. "Just like roads, the airwaves are public property."

While you can buy jammers online now, the demand for them hasn't taken off because they're illegal. Demand for cell phone blocking services has put market forces to work though. Firms are devising ways to provide the cell jamming service, without running foul of the regulations.

Bluelinx, based in Charlotte, N.C., is developing a system called Q-Zone (the Q standing for quiet) that uses Bluetooth wireless technology - in transmitters and imbedded into cellphones - to put phones equipped with Q-Zone software into silent or vibrate mode when they are taken into a specified zone.

Jeff Griffin, Bluelinx's president, said he was trying to sign up wireless providers and establishments like cafes and theaters. He said he hopes to start using the equipment in the next few years. Unlike jammers, he said, his call-blocking system would be optional for cellphone users, who could turn it on or off.

Its also got those lovable MIT Media Lab folks working on the project.

A similar system is being developed by Stefan Marti and Chris Schmandt, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab. Their project, called Autonomous Interactive Intermediaries, uses technology like speech recognition to screen calls to determine when a phone should ring, and even subtle, silent visual cues to replace cellphone rings or vibrations - say, an animatronic rabbit or parrot turning toward you in a room to signal that you have a call.

In Lawrence Lessig's Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace, he claims that you can use four types of forces to regulate issues in a society: Cultural, Legal, Archictural, and Market. We've got people trying to use three of four here to control the annoying cellphone problem.

Architecture

A different approach - by design or happenstance, but altogether legal - is to block cellphone signals through construction techniques. (An F.C.C. spokeswoman said the commission had no regulations dealing with building materials.) Like most cellphone-blocking methods, many of these ideas were developed long ago for military and espionage purposes, said Bill Sewell, senior vice president of DMJM Technology, who has spent years designing radio-secure areas for the United States government.

Mr. Sewell said the methods used by his firm are simple: metal mesh screens tuned to the frequencies of radio waves are mounted inside the wall. They are also inexpensive, at about $15 a square foot, he said.

Culture

"I was at church some time ago and a lady's cellphone went off and the entire church froze," Mr. Griffin said. "Meanwhile, she couldn't find her phone and was so embarrassed. It's that kind of circumstance we're trying to fix." ...

... there is a last resort: personal responsibility. "There are always going to be rude people," Mr. Larson said. "We just hope they will learn to turn their cellphones off at the right time."

Legal

...legal restrictions (like a law prohibiting cellphone use during performances, enacted by the New York City Council last year).

Adam Smith

Comments

[Tom]

Interesting stuff. There is more on cell phone jammers in this December Slate article.

The early focus of the article is on the security uses of cell phone jamming.

A cellular "security bubble" in London could have protected Bush from a very real threat: terrorists who use cell phones to detonate bombs from miles away, or even another country. By connecting a cell phone to hidden explosives, and then calling that phone, one can detonate a bomb (the electrical charge that activates the ringer on the cell phone serves as the triggering signal). In May 2002, Palestinian militants in Tel Aviv nearly caused a major explosion when they placed a bomb wired to a cell phone in a fuel truck headed for Israel's largest fuel depot. (The bomb detonated, but the fire was put out.)

Maybe you have a business partner in the Department of Homeland Security?

[Adam]

Thanks Tom,

I think that’s a great example of how giving technology innovators room to operate opens up creative, value-generating applications that no one could think of beforehand.

Using cell jammers to block terrorists using cell phones as detonators for bombs would have been a laughable Tom Clancy plot four years ago. Now it seems like a potentially useful application of technology.

The FCC should have to review this regulation. If they find that technology advances have been made that could block cell calls only in a limited and restricted area – they should change the rules to reflect that. They could specify parameters that legal jammer devices would have to meet. Or, they could require an organization to get a permit from the FCC or city hall to use one.

[Francisco Cabal]

Jammers could be an easy cheap way to fight the extortion and kidknapp industry in countries like Colombia, were, according to the authorities, 50% of extortion and kidknapp related crimes are performed through cell-phones located inside prisons and jail. However, the legallity of their sale and use is yet to be determined due to out of context laws similar to the ones banning the jammers in other jurisdictions.

[Al Funcoot]

People using cell phones inapproprately and without decent, traditional regard for others have brought this backlach on themselves. The same thing happened with smoking. I will use jammers to end the nuisance of cell phones going off in my classroom, as well as the distractions of text messaging, cheating on tests, and other annoyances--all symptoms of badly mannered people badly brought up.

Al Funcoot
Monroe, NY

[Dick]

I too am annoyed by cell phones ringing at inappropriate times and by inconsiderate boors talking loudly.

But there's another side to the story. My wife and I bought our first cell phone several years ago. The reason we were early adopters was because we have a special needs daughter: She's mentally retarded and has epilepsy and many other medical problems. We need to know IMMEDIATELTY when something happens to her.

One way we keep our sanity is to have caregivers take care of her while we go to a movie or a restaurant. If someone calls one of our cell phone numbers (we have two now), we don't want them to leave a voice message that we can listen to after the movie is over.

Whenever we are in a sensitive situation, we always put our phones on vibrate and turn off the ringer. If anyone calls (and that happens very rarely) we immediately get up and answer the call out of earshot.

Now I know we're unusual in that we use our cell phones primarily for emergencies, and NEVER for idle chitchat, but we would be VERY upset to learn that an establishment we were relaxing in didn't allow us to answer our phones.

[d short]

These jammers are not illegal to own, for example, in the UK, but are illegal to operate - following a law which dates back all the way to 1949! when the Brits in power were even more arrogant to the individual than Blair's current gauleiters. It can be difficult to have one ordered on line delivered to the UK or even an EU country but the Far East suppliers tend to 'work around' the problem. Otherwise have one delivered to a non-EU accommodation address - try a hotel you 'intended' to visit and then passed onto you. For UK people, remember that the Channel Islands are not part of the EU....
And don't go for that guff about 'oh what about emergency phone calls'. I am sure we did v well on that score ten years ago when virtually no-one had a mobile. If others talk about their 'right' to communicate, do we not have the right to peace and quiet?

[VIKESH KUMAR GUPTA]

WE WANT TO PURCHASE MOBILE SIGNAL JAMMER AND ALSO TELL ME ITS RANGE
AND PRICE.

WE WANT TO PURCHASE SUCH A JAMMER WHO REWOKE THE WORK OF COMPUTER & TELEVISIONS.

[Jharna]

On this same subject-I recently bought a jammer from http://www.techgadgetz.com, and it definitely works! I finally got fed up enough with the pointless and offensive conversations around me while traveling on the train to actually do something about it. Its so nice now to silence users around me when they get offensive. I believe in these 'security bubbles' and until something else is done to stop these annoying users, users must protect themselves. What do you think? I hope this helps someone!

[paul]

just so you know. You canget a cell phone jammer here

cell phone jammer

[mobile phones]

Everything has an advantage and disadvantage. While cellphone jamming can prevent terrorist attacks, it can also prevent someone from getting help during emergency. So, I guess, we should look at it closely before propagating such strategies. Just a thought.

[wireless cell phone business]

i hope the only thing this is used for is for security. Anything else would be harassment.

[tomas]

They should be used to keep the guys at the movies from disturbing you when you watching a movie and to keep the learners in school from using there phones

The website below sells some great jammers

www.cellphonesignaljammer.com

[cell phone jammer]

Schools & prisons will enter the (U.S.) news a lot more in the near future as they challenge the antiquated laws that govern cell phone jammers.

[jammer]

http://pcworld.about.com/od/wirelessphonesvoip/Should-Cell-Phone-Jamming-be-L.htm

Great article from PCWorld on this.

[Rick Peterson]

I am concerned about the health risk of cellphone jammers, what information can you provide?

[adrian]

Nice review! I am really expecting there will be a phone that is truly all-in-one, simple to handle and at the same time looks smart but with a best price.All the phone companies design out a new cellphone it will be very expensive.

[dissertation]

Blogs are so interactive where we get lots of informative on any topics nice job keep it up !!

[faye]

hi
I'm very confused of whats cellphone jammers disadvantages please enlighten me thanks.

[Dissertation Writing]

Nicely post about "Cell Phone Jammers: A Great Technology and Policy Case Study", Regards.

[Screen Protectors]

im afraid i can't enlighten you as i myself is in need of enlightenment... :D

[cellphone philippines]

Thank you for this wealth of information i also hope the only thing this is used for is for security. :)

vee

[Gps jamming device]

It is high technology, i think it may be used for the wrong way!

[viagra online]

that's sort of a problem, because you can't restrict someone for using his own cellphone, maybe you can put some signs in your place!

[RamonGustav]

Have you been turned down by other lenders?

[DR.SURESH]

students are copying in exam hall.There these must be instituted.But now they have overcome this issue by keeping cell phone outside and carrying blue tooth device with spy(wireless) ear phone..some one dictating to them answers..can any one suggest how to jam blue tooth signals in exam hall.I think whole world(student community) to an extent are copying.DR.SURESH