Department Of Telecommunications Releases Fresh Advisory Against Use Of Jammers/Blockers In India- Know More

The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) on July 4 officially released an advisory to the general population of India regarding the proper usage of wireless jammers and repeaters or boosters. It stated that unless specified by the Centre, using such GPS blocker, jammer, or other signal jamming device is "generally illegal".

As per the advisory, private sector organisations and/or private individuals can't use/procure jammers in the country. Advertising, selling, distributing, importing, or otherwise marketing jammers in India is unlawful. It is also unlawful to sell, possess and/or use mobile signal boosters/repeaters by any entity/individual- other than the licensed telecom service provider.

On January 21 2022, the telecom department alerted all e-commerce corporations from selling or facilitating the sale of wireless jammers on platforms. The advisory was released after the central government had witnessed that some e-commerce platforms were promoting the sales of wireless jammers that could disrupt the authorised telecom and other wireless networks.

What Are The Norms For Procurement Of Jammers?

As per the detailed guidelines published by the central government, jammers can only be procured legally by departments/ministries, state governments/Union Territory administrations, Central Police Organizations (CPOs) and defence forces, reported NDTV.

Permission to procure jammers is given only after consulting with security agencies who keep a database of available jammers.

All You Need To Know About Signal Blockers!

A signal jammer or wireless jammer intentionally blocks or jams authorised signals such as personal communications, cellular communications, and navigational communications (GPS) by radiating radio energy of identical frequencies.

According to the Department of Telecommunications, jammer comes under the purview of the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933 (IWTA 1933), which states that a license is needed for possessing and using jammers in India.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) welcomed this move and stated that the advisory would assist in spreading awareness. "Its (signal repeaters/boosters) unauthorised use adversely interferes with telecom services and we are glad that the Government of India has recognised its significance in delivering a flawless network and telecom experience to citizens across the country. T

his advisory will help spread awareness and make citizens cognizant of the debilitating effects that repeaters have on the overall network," said Director General Lt Gen Dr SP Kochhar, COAI said.

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