FCC Wants Your Opinion On Cell Jamming

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Is cell phone jamming on the streets okay? What about at the movies or in a restaurant? The FCC wants to know what you think.

While the important function that wireless service plays in protecting public safety is undisputed, some commentators, including some law enforcement personnel, have raised concerns that wireless networks can be used in ways that put the public’s safety at risk. Concerns, for example, that wireless service could be used to trigger the detonation of an explosive device or to organize the activities of a violent flash mob have led public authorities in the United States and abroad to consider interrupting wireless service.
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Just wait until muggers use them. What better way than to make sure no one calls for help in a large park
 
The crafty criminals would build a bomb that is detonated by text, and also detonated if the always-open phone call was dropped.

You can't win if someone wants to do something. The Feds already jam signals if they have to, so what's the point of this request for comments?
 
Brak710 said:
The crafty criminals would build a bomb that is detonated by text, and also detonated if the always-open phone call was dropped.

You can't win if someone wants to do something. The Feds already jam signals if they have to, so what's the point of this request for comments?
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WORST. TRIGGER. EVER.

Heh. Someone would try it but at the rate that calls drop even on good network I wouldn't ever suggest that.
 
Wow! You Americans really are scared crazy, aren't you? Signing away freedom because there's a chance, a chance, that someone might missuse a service.
In the last, lets say 5 years, how many bombs have been detonated on american soil using a cell phone or a remote?
Ask yourself, is this meassure really justified by the risk?
 
It's all BS. They just want to make sure people can't communicate when they declare martial law. They just want to make it look like we asked for it. Protecting us from me and you while taking the freedoms they claim to be defending.
 
Bring on the movie theater cellphone jammer, like the ones they have in Japan. The sooner the better.
 
EchoMatrix said:
Just wait until muggers use them. What better way than to make sure no one calls for help in a large park
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This is talking about government authorities (ONLY government) being allowed to legally interrupt service. This isn't talking about signal jamming (as the pdf explains), but rather government agencies asserting control over network facilities and shutting them down. (Eg shutting down a cell tower for an entire area)
 
EchoMatrix said:
Just wait until muggers use them. What better way than to make sure no one calls for help in a large park
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Why couldn't they use them now?

Sounds like the argument of making guns illegal removes gun violence by criminals.

I'm all for jammers in a particular private establishment, basically because it's 100% legal to passively jam cell phones, you just need to wire mesh your entire building/room (Faraday cage), but somehow active jamming is wrong. I don't get it. The argument always goes to emergency responders being jammed and that can't happen, but if the area is passively jammed they're still jammed too!


Obviously you can't wrap wire mesh around a city block, so cell phones in public places should be ok.
 
Ualdayan said:
This is talking about government authorities (ONLY government) being allowed to legally interrupt service. This isn't talking about signal jamming (as the pdf explains), but rather government agencies asserting control over network facilities and shutting them down. (Eg shutting down a cell tower for an entire area)
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Yeah, sure look how great it is when the government is allowed to take down websites at a whim.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Yeah, sure look how great it is when the government is allowed to take down websites at a whim.
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Oh noes, what will we do without Megaupload!!!oneone.


Use one of the many other file distribution websites.
 
No thanks. I don't want government deciding I'm not allowed communication within a given area.
 
If you're wondering why active jamming is illegal, it's because it's licensed spectrum.

Just because you own the property, doesn't mean you can broadcast on Verizon/AT&T/Sprint/etc's spectrum.
 
NKDietrich said:
No thanks. I don't want government deciding I'm not allowed communication within a given area.
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I'm with you. We do not need yet another chisel blow striking away our rights.
 
NKDietrich said:
No thanks. I don't want government deciding I'm not allowed communication within a given area.
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If you want your opinion to count you better submit it the official way outlined; they aren't coming here to read your opinion afterall.
 
bucket said:
Bring on the movie theater cellphone jammer, like the ones they have in Japan. The sooner the better.
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As someone who works in a concert hall...yes please. No one listens to nags to turn the damn things off.
 
Anyone supporting this has to be nuts. It's simply a way to quickly control the flow of information in the event the government wants to squelch something.
 
Brak710 said:
So what about the people with pagers or texts they need to be able to get?
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What message would come in at 8PM at night that can't wait 2 hours? More importantly, if you're expecting such a message, what are you doing at a show?
 
I am absolutely 100% OK with blocking cell phone signals in movie theaters.
I contend that there are many arguments for and against, and that this isn't a foolproof solution. However, I see it as a premium service some movie theaters could offer, like 21+ only theaters, and no baby theaters, etc.

If I'm going to plunk down $12 a ticket to see a movie, I might as well spend $15 a ticket to guarantee a pleasant experience. I used to have a local theater that offered premium theater rooms that were 21+, and had slightly nicer seats. It was nice being able to watch a new release without having to worry about kids and teens being a problem.


As for restaurants, I don't think its necessary. With the wait staff and management constantly shuffling around the floor of a restaurant, anyone who is creating a scene talking on a cell phone would quickly be told to STFU. And as for jamming on the streets, no way, there isn't enough cause to justify such an action. Also, as has been said, the feds will already jam cell phone signals if its really necessary...allowing even more local authorities to do it seems completely unnecessary.
 
Movie theatres, yes! (Wish you can turn off children's crying in movies as well. I hate it when parents bring their under 10 year old or toddler to a Rated R movie.)

On the roads while other people are driving, yes!

On streets where there are pedestrians nearby, yes!

In cases of emergencies, no! (Only if the vehicle has come to a full stop and is on the side of the road.)
 
Skripka said:
What message would come in at 8PM at night that can't wait 2 hours? More importantly, if you're expecting such a message, what are you doing at a show?
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I don't know, firefighters, sysadmins, doctors, engineers, etc?
 
Jamming should be used for Law enforcement purposes only. A lot of people are on call and need to have their phones on, including emergency services (e.g. doctors on call). That is why they invented the vibrate mode. I think the current method works just fine.

For theaters, I think theaters should be allowed to kick out those who break the policy, but not jam them altogether due to the very few extenuating circumstances. For at least the past 5 years I have seen them heavily advertise the "turn off cellphone" policy. Sprint has even got creative and made ads telling people to shut off their phone.
 
Cell phone jammers in Movie theaters Everywhere!
The only thing I would insist on is the ability to call 911 if possible.
I might start going back to the theater if that happens.
In your in a position where you must take calls dont go see a movie during that time.
 
First, you'll notice the pdf specifically outlines the means of jamming, and it's not what you typically think of with signal jammers, though the effect is roughly the same. This is probably in direct response to last year's Oakland BART incident(s).

Anyway...

If someone talks to someone they're with, or even to themselves, in a theater, do you think we should ban all talking? No, it's a courtesy not to, and those people should be told to stop or be removed from the premises.

It's no different if you just so happen to have a cell phone. Other than people can be passive-aggressive with a jammer desire...

If you get bothered by it at the theater, I say it's their fault for being discourteous, but it's also your fault for being so easily distracted and/or so passive that you sit and accept it. Ask for assistance from mgmt or ask for your money back if you so desire, otherwise live with the fact that you're not going to be 100% comfortable and have everything your way when out in public.

I hate cell phone use by moronic people as much as the next person, and I have a special place of hate for people who talk/text and drive, but you're never going to see or get away with jammers by anyone other than law enforcement/gov. Trying to have it one way but not another is the same have-cake-eat-it-too that gov wants with these stupid Internet censorship/monitoring bills.

Should the gov have the ability to jam/interrupt signals? Well, somewhat, I mean it is theirs, technically. Should they exercise that? Only in the most extreme, morally inarguable cases. I'm not sure I can think of any good enough reasons to squelch cell phone reception for a given area. All it takes is one squelched emergency need and "you dun effed up."

I don't accept the fear-mongering movie plot scenario of terrorists detonating a bomb with a cell phone (shit dude, news flash, they might TALK using them too! oh lords run to the hills!). But if someone wants to pander that as an excuse, then I'll counter with the equally implausible scenario that in an election year a gov decides to jam signals just because they don't agree with what's going on in what they define (in some weird, misguided way) a "flash mob." We're not Iran or China...at least not yet...where we should be doing things to hold back our own citizens without transparency and oversight.
 
Brak710 said:
So what about the people with pagers or texts they need to be able to get?
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The same thing they used to do before there were cell phones. Tell the manager they may receive a call that's vital they receive and why. Then the manager or someone else finds the patron and relays the message.
 
EchoMatrix said:
Just wait until muggers use them. What better way than to make sure no one calls for help in a large park
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Right, because a cell phone is so useful when someone 3 feet from you has a knife.

"Excuse me Mr. Thug, I have to make a call. Beep boop boop...hello? 911? Yes I'm being mugged. Yes he's right here. Would you like to talk to him?"
 
Wolfkin said:
Wow! You Americans really are scared crazy, aren't you? Signing away freedom because there's a chance, a chance, that someone might missuse a service.
In the last, lets say 5 years, how many bombs have been detonated on american soil using a cell phone or a remote?
Ask yourself, is this meassure really justified by the risk?
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Freedom my ass. Was I not free ten years ago when I didn't have a cell phone? I got all the way through college without one. Oh, the humanity, I was so desperately oppressed.
 
Magnus said:
The same thing they used to do before there were cell phones. Tell the manager they may receive a call that's vital they receive and why. Then the manager or someone else finds the patron and relays the message.
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That doesn't even make sense anymore? Certian people need their phones now, and other peoples lives and business depend on them, no one cares about you not enjoying your movie or not because of someone talking on the phone..
 
Aluisious said:
Freedom my ass. Was I not free ten years ago when I didn't have a cell phone? I got all the way through college without one. Oh, the humanity, I was so desperately oppressed.
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In that case, you can walk everywhere from now on. I mean, that's what people did several hundred years ago, and they seem just fine.
 
Aluisious said:
Freedom my ass. Was I not free ten years ago when I didn't have a cell phone? I got all the way through college without one. Oh, the humanity, I was so desperately oppressed.
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Lonervamps statement made perfect sense. Are you really posting this nonsense on a technology-related forum?
 
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