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Cosmetology School Jams Cell Phones, Prompts $25K FCC Fine

by Caleb Johnson on April 28, 2010 at 09:05 AM

About a year ago, a Texas cosmetology school decided to illegally install a cell-phone jammer to keep students from disturbing class. Now, after another jammer was discovered in Florida, the device's British manufacturer has drawn the ire of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and faces a large fine.

According to Ars Technica, the FCC proposed a $25,000 fine against Phonejammer.com last week, claiming the company markets its product to U.S. consumers despite such devices remaining illegal in this country. The 5-watt jammer that was found at the Cosmetology Career Center in Carrollton has a jamming radius of about 27 yards and sells for about $395. The FCC's Texas field office confiscated the device. That could've been the end of it, but, this March, the FCC's Florida field office caught wind of and confiscated an 8-watt jammer (made by, you guessed it, Phonejammer) from a Port St. Lucie business. In the Feds' eyes, that was enough to count as "a pattern of intentional non-compliance." That's not to mention that the company's site prices its products in U.S. currency and has the States as its default shipping address. So now, Phonejammer has 30 days to pay the fine or challenge these accusations.

It's interesting that the FCC went after the manufacturer rather than the business that purchased the product. In New Zealand, the government fined a church for using a cell-phone jammer, but it looks like Phonejammer will be held responsible in these cases. As for the beauty school, it will just have to find some other way to keep cell phones from interrupting perms and dye jobs. [From: Ars Technica]

Tags: ban, cellphonejammer, cellphones, FCC, government, law, phonejammer, top

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