Beware of cell phone jammers. Criminals may soon add the use of cell phone "jammers" to their toolkit for nefarious activities, if they haven't already. Capable of causing a "denial of service" or "DOS attack," these handheld devices are sold through various online stores for $1,000 to $2,000, but the fine for owning one can be over $10,000. The devices can be very small -- one model is said to "fit into any empty cigarette pack" -- but very powerful, and once activated, they interfere with wireless signals within a radius of about 100 feet from the device.
The Ottawa Sun has brought attention to an incident in Canada involving cell phone jammers. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has responded by issuing a warning to all police agencies nationwide about the use of these devices. The catalyst for this action was an encounter between two Quebec police officers and two suspects on a dark highway, which caused disruption to their walkie-talkies.
The Mount Spokane incident clearly demonstrated the efficacy of these jammers in interfering with police radio communications. As a result, several safety alerts have been issued in recent weeks to raise awareness among officers regarding the potential risks these devices pose to their safety.
Despite the clear language of Section 333 in the FCC Rules, which explicitly prohibits intentional or malicious interference with radio communication, the agency grapples with practical limitations that hinder its ability to enforce this rule effectively.
FCC and Verizon Wireless investigators were said to have visited an upscale Maryland restaurant last year, as per the restaurant owner. The owner, who chose to remain anonymous, mentioned investing $1,000 in a powerful jammer to prevent employees from diverting their attention to their phones rather than attending to customers.
He recounted how he persistently advised them, saying, "Set aside your phones, set aside your phones, set aside your phones." Yet, they stubbornly ignored his words. The owner mentioned that FCC investigators diligently prowled the neighborhood for a week, utilizing specialized equipment designed to detect signal jammers. However, the owner had deactivated the equipment.
The Verizon investigators also faced disappointment in their attempts. The owner explained that the individual took the initiative to contact every resident in the town, providing them with his phone number and emphasizing the importance of immediate communication if they faced any difficulties. However, the owner has now discontinued the use of the jammer.
As geopolitical crises escalate, signal jamming and spoofing attacks on GPS and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are becoming more common, creating significant challenges and risks to aviation, shipping, and other critical services around the world.
Data from GPSJam.org confirms widespread GPS/GNSS jamming in parts of Europe and beyond as a result of the war in Ukraine. Affected regions include Finland, the Baltic States, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, in addition to the Black Sea, the Caucasus, and Turkey. The Middle East has also seen jamming due to hostile activities by Israel and Iran in the region. Other jamming activities, albeit on a smaller scale, are also common in Pakistan, India, and Myanmar.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) provide critical positioning, navigation, and timing services to users around the world. However, like other electronic-based systems (and despite industry efforts to strengthen the security of these technologies), devices that receive signals from GNSS satellites can be vulnerable to wifi jamming and spoofing. It is time for the United States to coordinate international efforts to stop the marketing and sale of devices that jam GNSS systems.
To be clear, gsm jamming and spoofing are already illegal. In the United States, the Communications Act of 1934, the U.S. Penal Code, and other federal laws and regulations prohibit tampering with navigation systems, including GPS, cellular and personal communications devices, and police radar systems. However, without international coordination to enforce existing laws and regulations, bad actors will continue to jam and spoof GNSS signals, disrupting critical uses ranging from personal navigation and agriculture to emergency response and defense.
A key feature of current conflicts is the new use of drone warfare, which is what makes GNSS jamming operations so powerful. As this technology becomes more widely available to state and non-state actors, these tactics are likely to be repeated again and again—regardless of where the conflict occurs.
While the Middle East is likely to remain a major hotspot for such activity in the coming years, it is not the only region at risk. Any country facing conflict or terrorism could face the asymmetric threat posed by cheap satellite navigation capabilities.
As a result, more countries will have to resort to defensive GNSS jamming to defend against these threats, resulting in a wider range of unreliable navigation signals that could affect airlines, shipping, and more. This gps jamming is not limited to affecting receivers on Earth. Low Earth orbit satellites carry GNSS receivers to improve weather forecasts, predict space weather, and monitor climate change. These important missions and other scientific research should not be hampered by regulatory inaction or lack of resources.