Last updated April 12, 2019
Most cell phone users have at some time or other found themselves inexplicably without a signal. In many cases, this may simply be due to issues being experienced by the telecommunications provider. Too many people using the network at once can cause problems, as can a host of other technical issues.
Surprisingly, however, in at least some of the cases of missing signals, the problem might be located a great deal closer to the cell phone user. The real issue might be a cell phone jamming device located nearby. An increasing number of people are beginning to use these jammers in order to establish a zone of silence around them as they move through public spaces. The devices are particularly common on public transport such as trains and buses.
They are not, however, legal to operate. The Federal Communications Commission has issued a new Enforcement Advisory to warn consumers away from the practice of using a cell phone jammer. The penalties for such use are quite harsh and include fines in excess of $110,000 as well as time in jail. GPS jammers are likewise illegal.
A man’s home – no longer his castle
Information being released by the FCC makes it clear that jamming devices cannot be used legally even inside an individual’s own home. At first glance, this regulation would seem like overkill. Should parents not, for example, have the right to jam signals at home so that their teenager is not staying up all night to text message with his girlfriend?
The reason behind the ban is that the range of cell phone jammers can be more widespread than people think. Jamming your son’s bedroom may also jam the house next door. A better solution in the house is to remove the cell phone physically from a child’s possession at night if he or she has been misusing it.