FEARS FOR POLLS ARE REAL: Cellphone jammers could disrupt transmission - NTC

CEBU, Philippines - The National Telecommunications Commission in Central Visayas yesterday admitted the possibility that the electronic transmission of results from polling precincts to canvassing centers will be blocked by jamming devices if cellular phone signals are used to send them.

NTC-7 officer-in-charge Jesus Laureno made the admission amidst concerns expressed by the officials of the Commission on Elections over the reported arrival in the country of 5,000 jammers of mobile phone signals.

“Kon cellphone signal ang gamiton there is a possibility nga ma-jaman,” Laureno said over dyLA.

He explained that this gadget operates within the band of cellular phone frequency. In other countries, Laureno said, it is used in counter-terrorism operations especially for VIP security.

Some are also used in churches to discourage church-goers from using their phones while the mass is ongoing.

In the Philippines however the use of this device is illegal, Laureno said.

Laureno said that jamming device is a portable transmitter that has an effective range from 50 meters to 100 meters. He said it can easily be concealed.

The website www.electronic.how stuffworks.com explained how the device works.

It was used in the U.S. and the Europe to disrupt the use of cell phones in public places such as “ restaurants, movie theaters, concerts, shopping malls and churches, which suffered from the spread of cell phones because not all cell phone users know when to stop talking.”

“Disrupting a cell phone is the same as jamming any other type of radio communication. A cell phone works by communicating with its service network through a cell tower or base station. Cell towers divide a city into small areas, or cells. As a cell-phone user drives down the street, the signal is handed from tower to tower.

A jamming device transmits on the same radio frequencies as the cell phone, disrupting the communication between the phone and the cell phone base station in the tower.

It’s called a denial-of-service attack. The jammer denies service of the radio spectrum to the cell-phone users within range of the jamming device.”

An example of this device is the SH066P handheld dual band cellphone jammer which comes in two versions, one for Europe, North Africa and the Gulf states GSM networks (900 & 1800) and one for the Americas & Canada (800 & 1900 mhz) networks.

This type of gadget is even advertised in the website www.globalgadetuk.com and it costs 115 euros.

Possession of this device is punishable under the obsolete radio control law in the country which was crafted in the 1930s.

Laureno said it carries only a penalty of P2,000 fine and or two years imprisonment depending on the court’s discretion.

Asked if this device is already being used in the Philippines, especially in the armed forces, Laureno said he is not sure.

He was however sure that this is not sold in any electronic shops in the country since this is illegal in the Philippines.

On the reported arrival of jamming devices, Laureno said they are awaiting instructions from the national office.

Cebu Customs District Collector Ronnie Silvestre said he already beefed up the port security against the possibility of smuggling jamming devices.

Silvestre said he has ordered the Customs Police and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service to be vigilant. He assured that they have not monitored of any electronic jamming devices entering the Cebu Port. — Fred P. Languido/NLQ   (FREEMAN NEWS)