In Dallas, a store called Ravi’s Import Warehouse was fined for its owner illegally blocking employees’ cell phone signals. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), store owner Anita Bhatia admitted to using a signal jammer with the purpose of preventing employees from using their phones during work hours. However, signal jammers are illegal in the United States unless used under limited federal law enforcement exemptions.
The incident started when an AT&T employee complained to the FCC about the possible use of phone jammers near Ravi’s Import Warehouse. The FCC, which allocates and manages radio waves nationwide, immediately launched an investigation after receiving the complaint. Investigators arrived at the store and spoke with Bhatia. Bhatia admitted to using a signal jammer to prevent employees from using their phones while working. But she said she had disposed of the jammer shortly before the investigators arrived and refused to tell her where she disposed of it. She even offered to sell the jammer to the investigators, who rejected the offer and issued a notice of unlicensed radio operation, informing Ravi’s Import Warehouse that operating a signal jammer was illegal. cell phone jammer
The FCC took action on the matter, fining Ravi’s Import Warehouse $22,000. The fine included a $17,000 violation fine and a $5,000 fine for the owner’s “egregious conduct,” which was trying to sell the device to an FCC agent.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel issued a statement when the agency voted to approve the fine, highlighting the law’s clear language on signal jammers: “You can’t make, import, sell, transport, or operate them.” She noted that jammers are illegal regardless of where they are used, unless they are operated under a limited exemption for federal law enforcement. Unauthorized signal jammers can interfere with authorized uses of the spectrum, disrupting wireless signals and emergency services. Rosenworcel also said: “It makes it clear that if you use an unauthorized jamming device, we will find you and hold you accountable.”