Mounties to jam cellphones at G-8 summit

CBC News ^ | June 23, 2002

[John Jorsett]

KANANASKIS, ALBERTA - The security plan for this week's G-8 summit in Kananaskis includes all the barriers that have become standard in the past few years at gatherings of world leaders – armed guards, barricades and roadblocks. But it also includes something new: cellphone jammers.

The RCMP and armed forces have been given permission to jam radio and cellphone signals during the G-8 summit. They also plan to use the signal blockers next month when the Pope comes to Toronto. The RCMP says cellphones can be used to trigger explosive devices, for example, and they want to be able to deal with that menace, should it arise.

"I'm not saying there's a threat," said RCMP Cpl. Benoit Desjardins. "But if there is a threat with a remote control device that could be connected to an explosive, we could jam the radio frequencies."

The special permission to use the blocking devices comes just after an Industry Department report decided the technology shouldn't be allowed in widespread use. CBC News has learned that a study concluded that the devices aren't reliable enough to use in hospitals or airports, where cellphones can interfere with safety.

The security forces say they would use the technology sparingly, and only want short-term permission to do so.

But activists are worried police are just arming themselves with another tool to disrupt their ability to protest.

Cellphones are a powerful tool for organizing demonstrations.

The Mounties have promised they won't turn the jammers on legitimate protesters. "It's not used against demonstrations," said Desjardins.

Wireless communication is also a powerful business tool, and people who have no connection to the summit, or the Pope's visit, are concerned about the impact signal jamming would have on them.

The Mounties say few civilians will notice if they turn the blockers on during the summit that runs June 26 and 27.

[ReaganIsRight]

Thank you for posting crap from June 23. I really haven't had a chance to read this.

Maybe your next post can tell me Xmas will be last Dec 25th. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Well, I'll make sure to avoid depending on my cell phone a week ago... thanks. You've been helpful... ;0)

[Wright is right!]

Seems as though a much more effective way of accomplishing the same thing would be to simply turn off all the cellphone repeaters in a given area. Why jam them when you can just turn them OFF?!? Turning them OFF wouldn't generate ANY "harmful" radiation. In fact, it would reduce cell retransmissions to ZERO.

Naw, that would be too EASY.

Michael

[John Jorsett]

Awww, somebody is a little cranky today. Didn't anyone tell you that you're not required to read everything put in front of you if you're not interested? No? Well, consider yourself notified.

[jimtorr]

Thanks for the interesting post. I hadn't heard this. Next time, though, you might want to make a comment about how you know this story is dated, but is still relevant for the future.

It's actully pretty easy to jam cell phones. Most phones broadcast at only 1/2 watt, and have a range of around one mile -- somebody correct me if I'm wrong, please.

In Japan, any restaurant or shop or department store is allowed to jam cell phones inside the premises. I guess that most people in Japan had cell phones, and were starting to use them at any place and at any time.

It is annoying to have several telephone conversations going on in a restaurant at the same time, and to hear phones ringing as well. People on the phone have little consideration for the people around them, and can ignore shop clerks and waiters, thus inconveniencing everybody around them. I speak from experience here, and I've done it myself.

[jimtorr]

** simply turn off all the cellphone repeaters in a given area.**

That might be a little too much. These days, quite a bit depends on wireless transmissions, and a lot of them go through the cellphone repeaters. Of course, the vital stuff might be able to use sattelite phones temporalily.

Sattelite phones are what make jamming cellphones ineffective in the first place, though. The power required to jam sattelite phones might disrupt all kinds of electronics.