cell phone jammers

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- The development of cell phone jammers has opened a new front in the battle of indiscriminate cell phone usage in public places in the United States.

A San Francisco architect identified only as Andrew said he began using the technology to block cell phone reception once he could no longer stand hearing the endless chattering, The New York Times reported.

Andrew said that while he initially abused his new-found power, he has learned how to use it judiciously to ensure he can enjoy a quiet ride home on the train after work.

"At this point, just knowing I have the power to cut somebody off is satisfaction enough," he said.

But an official at Rutgers University told the Times that Andrew's point of view is simply based on the same inconsiderate world view that the problematic cell phone users embrace.

"If anything characterizes the 21st century, it's our inability to restrain ourselves for the benefit of other people," said James Katz, who runs the university's Center for Mobile Communication Studies. "The cell phone talker thinks his rights go above that of people around him, and the jammer thinks his are the more important rights."
SAN FRANCISCO - One afternoon in early September, an architect boarded his commuter train and became a cell phone vigilante. He sat down next to a 20-something woman who he said was "blabbing away" into her phone.

"She was using the word 'like' all the time. She sounded like a valley girl," said the architect, Andrew, who declined to give his last name because what he did next was illegal.

Andrew reached into his shirt pocket and pushed a button on a black device the size of a cigarette pack. It sent out a powerful radio signal that cut off the chatterer's cell phone transmission -- and any others in a 30-foot radius.

"She kept talking into her phone for about 30 seconds before she realized there was no one listening on the other end," he said. His reaction when he first discovered he could wield such power? "Oh, holy moly! Deliverance."

The technology is not new, but overseas exporters of jammers say demand is rising and they are sending hundreds of them a month into the United States -- prompting scrutiny from federal regulators and new concern this week from the cell phone industry. The buyers include owners of cafes and hair salons, hoteliers, public speakers, theater operators, bus drivers and, increasingly, commuters on public transportation.

The development is creating a battle for control of the airspace within earshot. And the damage is collateral. Insensitive talkers impose their racket on the defenseless, while jammers punish not just the offender, but also more discreet chatterers.

The jamming technology works by sending out a radio signal so powerful that phones are overwhelmed and cannot communicate with cell towers. The range varies from several feet to several yards, and the devices cost from $50 to several hundred dollars. Larger models can be left on to create a no-call zone.

Using the jammers is illegal in the United States. The radio frequencies used by cell phone carriers are protected, just like those used by television and radio broadcasters.

The Federal Communication Commission says people who use cell phone jammers could be fined up to $11,000 for a first offense. Its enforcement bureau has prosecuted a handful of American companies for distributing the gadgets -- and it also pursues their users.