Cell phone jammers: Are they legal and sold in Japan?

[TheNoNamedOne]

I read an interesting article in the newspaper today where the exporting of cell phone jammers from India, where most are produced, to the U.S. are really taking off in sales. Thing is, in the U.S. they are illegal (but still get through to buyers).

They are illegal because the jammers have to go onto the frequency waves to disrupt the calls, and those frequency waves are rented from the government by cell phone companies for billions of dollars with the understanding that no one can trespass on those waves to disrupt their commerce.

These small jammers are like cigarrette pack size and when you press a button it jams all cell phones within a 9 meter range. The costs are anywhere from $50~$500.oo. In the U.S. the penalty for using them for first time offense is $11,000. But very few have been caught or prosecuted. I think the story mentioned the only real prosecution was when a company bought these jammers for their employees and distributed them in the open.

Does anyone know if they are illegal in Japan, and if they sell them here? Perhaps Akihabara?

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

http://www.theforeigner-japan.com/archives/200505/cellphones.htm

Japan now allows public places such as theaters and concert halls to install jammers, provided they obtain a government-issued license. And recently, France approved a decision to let cinemas, concert halls and theaters install them – as long as provisions are in place so emergency calls can still be made. If there is a fire or an earthquake, the cell phone jammers will stop functioning and calls can go out.

[ryukyuboi]

Is there a legitmate use of these cell phone jammers?

[ryukyuboi]

Oh, I see now.

[TheNoNamedOne]

E, what about personal hand held jammers for the regular pedestrian citizen? Any source material on that explicitly stating they are not permitted?

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

http://mocoblog.com/2006/01/31/cellphone-jammers-the-anti-gadget-gadget/
http://www.landfield.com/isn/mail-archive/1998/Aug/0125.html

[TheNoNamedOne]

Oh, never mind, E. Just grabbed this from your link:

The private use of cell phone blockers is illegal in the United States and most Western countries. It is also illegal in most places in Japan at the moment. But the tide is turning.

But then later this:

Tokyo subway commuters can buy mobile jammers to shut up chatty train passengers, even though their use is illegal.

So, where are these commuters in Tokyo buying their personal jammers? At a shop? Or internet importing?

[P_chan]

I'm curious to how you can buy a jammer from one country, yet it works in another country? Every country has different frequency assignments, so you would need a different jammer for each country. So how are people buying jammers from one country, yet using them in another? Unless they were tuned to specifically jam the american frequency range. If I remember correctly, there are two major cell phone frequency ranges. They are 1850MHz to 1990MHz and 824MHz to 894MHz. But it's been a while since I read that, so it could have changed.

I'm also wondering what type of power source these things use. To jam a whole frequency range, it requires you to emit quite a bit of RF and use a lot of power. That's why it's fairly easy to find out who is jamming you if you have the right equipment.

[TheNoNamedOne]

P, I would bet that if you order them from some place, you designate your country of use and the manufacturer presets them to that freq.

Also, their jamming capabilities (for personal use) are only emitting enough power to jam within a 9 meter radius of device holder. Therefore, I would imagine they don't need THAT much energy. But, I am not certain. That is why I have been asking questions.

[ryukyuboi]

I am glad you posted the question about jamming cell phones, TP. I feel like I learned something new and interesting. I would have never thought that individuals jamming cell phone calls was a possibility. I am way out of it when it comes to knowledge about cell phones. I guess it would be like Cuba electronically jamming Radio Mardi - in a way??

[Fonze]

I think certain places can and should use them, but not the public in general.

Do these jammers jam text messages to? I think so right.

Jammers could be used by criminals to commit crimes so i think they need to be watched carefully.

[socalheart]

I can understand and agree with theaters, public schools, hospitals and other such places that disallow cell phone usage having the cell phone jammers, except in cases of public emergencies like fires and shootings. I don't think private citizens should have them though. It seems rude somehow.

Imagine for example an elderly person who falls and hurts themselves trying to call for help on a cell phone, but someone thinks it'd be funny to jam that 911 call or call to a loved one. It could be as simple as someone who needs an extra dose of insulin trying to call home for it, but the guy at the restaurant table next to her thinks any call on a cell phone is inappropriate. Sure she can go outside, but doing so might cause her to pass out and go into a coma.

So, yeah, uhm, I don't know if the jammers things are available in Japan, but I don't think they should be to private citizens. :eep:

[DoctorP]

I love the idea of signals being jammed somewhat...but where do you draw the line? Personal jammers? I have wished I had one at times, but if they were available to the public...I don't think it would be a good idea.

Let's say all schools start jamming cell transmissions. What if a shooting incident were to occur? Who would contact the police? Scary thought...land lines are not always available.

How about you are in town at dinner. You babysitter calls you to inform you that your child fell down and is on the way to the hospital in critical condition? Some idiot at the next table jams your call just as you answer...could he be open for some type of lawsuit (for mental distress or something?)?

I just don't think that it is a very good idea to allow everyday Joe's to have these.

Perhaps education in basic courtesy is more important.

[TheNoNamedOne]

I think Socal and DrP made some good points for reasons why personal jammers should not be available to the general public. But I am not convinced by those points.

Basically, I think those points just rest on fear of how new technology could possibly be used. Computers, too, with all their capabilities in dredging for personal information to devastate thousands of lives, too, can be used for nefarious motives, but yet we do not disallow them for personal use.

Cell phones themselves, too, are being used to reach out and to try and entice underage kids into "dating" older men. Criminals can even use cell phones to better coordinate their crimes in gangs.



I don't think fear for this consumer piece of equipment is warranted any more than those other things I have mentioned and many others. It is just a modern gadgette we are going to have to get ready for, move over, and make room for.

[DoctorP]

Jammers have been around for years. Back in the 80's I had a radar jammer in my van. If the police used a radar gun to check my speed, it simply sent an erroneous value back to the radar. Saved me a ton of tickets when I was young!

They were illegal, but I was still able to buy one...why? Because there was a market for it.

To me personal cell phone jammers would be silly. Why does the average citizen need one? Really...explain why the average person NEEDS a cell jammer? Sell me on the idea as to why they should be allowed.

The pros must outweigh the cons in my opinion in order for them to be allowed. This is not always the way things work in commerce though...see my above example.