more on Theater Owners Want to Jam Cell Phones

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Jeff Ballard <ballard () engr wisc edu>
Date: December 22, 2005 7:28:02 AM EST
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] Theater Owners Want to Jam Cell Phones


While "jamming" might be easier (to a point), sometimes the low-tech  
solution
might just be easier -- chicken wire.  Asking Google ended up with  
this link
(which was quite interesting):

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=413500

Specifically this part:

------ Begin Snippet

HOW TO LEGALLY BLOCK CELL PHONES IN USA

  Simple - mount steel mesh or chicken wire around all your walls,
cover them with decorative wall board, and run a wire down to a good
electrical ground, such as conduit pipe or water pipe.  This will
effectively block incoming or outgoing cell phone transmissions. After
all, it is YOUR  office or store, right?  People can go outside to
make calls, as they should.

------ End Snippet

Painful, yes, however since it isn't something that is transmitting,  
it isn't
the FCC's domain.  Besides, we've all been in buildings that do this
accidently.

-Jeff


On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 22:11:37 -0500 (EST)  "David Farber" wrote:

> Dave,
>
> Word is out that the National Association of Theater Owners
> wants the FCC to allow the jamming of cell phones in movie  
> theaters. See
> for example: http://www.mobiledia.com/news/41645.html
>
> As you can imagine, the cellular phone industry is rather negative  
> toward
> this idea -- as should be anyone who has their priorities
> straight.
>
> Such jammers are already available illicitly in the U.S., and some
> establishments have supposedly already been experimenting with them,
> figuring that patrons would just assume poor inside coverage.
>
> But can you *imagine* the liability issues that would arise in
> emergency contact situations if purposeful jamming were taking
> place, even assuming that the jamming didn't spill out into other
> areas?
>
> Frankly, the probability of the FCC going along with this idea is, uh,
> something of a long shot.  Yes, people who insist on using cell  
> phones or
> other obtrusive devices in theaters are a pain.  But so
> are loud talkers, seats and floors covered with bubble gum and
> spilled popcorn, and of course lousy movies.
>
> The fact that the theater association is even trotting out the idea of
> blanket jamming suggests desperation in the extreme.
>
> --Lauren--
> Lauren Weinstein
> lauren () pfir org or lauren () vortex com or lauren () eepi org
> Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
> http://www.pfir.org/lauren
> Co-Founder, PFIR
>   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
> Co-Founder, EEPI
>   - Electronic Entertainment Policy Initiative - http://www.eepi.org
> Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
> Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
> Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
> DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com
>
>
>
>
>
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--
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=-=-=-=-=-
Jeff Ballard <ballard () engr wisc edu>   608-265-5090
Unix Systems Manager, Computer-Aided Engineering Center




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