FCC has made some Amendments to Parts 2 and 15 of the
"Commissions Rules to Further Ensure That Scanning Receivers Do
Not Receive Cellular Radio Signals", "Specifically, we adopt
rules that require scanning receivers to include adequate
filtering so that they do not pick up Cellular Service
transmissions even when tuned to frequencies outside those
allocated to the Cellular Service." This could potentially ban
the entire radio spectrum depending on interpretation.
Starting June 1st, 1999 we will see this label on every new
scanner:
WARNING: MODIFICATION OF THIS DEVICE TO RECEIVE CELLULAR
RADIOTELEPHONE SERVICE SIGNALS IS PROHIBITED UNDER FCC
RULES AND FEDERAL LAW.
It will soon be illegal to import and manufacture scanners and
frequency
converter kits that are cable of listening to the cell
transmissions
(this includes the allotted frequencies AND cell images).
Manufacturers are required to design their scanners so that if
they are
modified to receive cell transmissions they will be rendered
inoperable.
Regardless of the date of manufacture, it will soon be against
the law to modify a
scanner to listen to cell transmissions. Any modification of a
scanner
that changes it's operating characteristics voids the equipment
certification.
Interesting how this has become a problem of the very poor
scanner and radio industry as opposed to forcing the very very
rich cellular telephone industry to create more secure phones.
These new laws will not prevent people (or the government) from
intercepting your personal cellular communications as more
secure phones might. These laws will only make criminals out of
thousands of otherwise law abiding citizens.
American
Radio Relay League
With more on this topic explaining why this is such a bad thing
Brian Oblivion has written a new article for the Buffer Overflow
section. The article describes what is wrong with this law and
how the Government and the Cellular Telephone Industry
Association do not care about personal freedoms.
Buffer Overflow
