Slashdot Mirror

On the other hand, I know a guy who works for one of the UK operators whose job it was to run commands to the actual sites to find out where they think they are. Turns out a lot of lazy install engineers just put in (0,0) GPS coordinates when setting up site. In this case, your bog-standard E911 that just uses cell location should probably route your calls to the Coast Guard to send a boat out to the the African coast when you have a car accident.

I don't know where you got that from, but here it is straight from the horses mouth.

This letter from TVLA confirms exactly what I have already said.

As does this, this and this

Section 1 of the WT Act 1949 forbids the installation or use of wireless telegraphy equipment (radio) in the UK mainland including Northern Ireland and territorial waters, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, unless:

• an appropriate licence has been obtained from the Secretary of State,
• there are in force Regulations exempting it from licensing.

More and more convenience devices now utilise radio in their operation. Car alarms, wireless door chimes and garage door openers are common examples. Unfortunately not all of these are manufactured in accordance with the relevant technical requirements. The use of non-compliant equipment, is an offence and can lead to interference to authorised users of radio.

It is an offence contrary to the RTTE Regulations to place on the market non-compliant apparatus.

The whole point is spectrum is regulated in the UK and unless the equipment is licensed, then its illegal to use it.

If this thing worked at an exempt frequency, it would be ok, but because it uses the FM Broadcast bands, its not approved for use.

I would also presume the importer wont sell them simply because they could be prosecuted and would have zero defence.

Cell phones use licensed spectrum, controlled by companies.

Spectrum is controlled and licensed by government agencies, in the the US, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau of the FCC, Canada, Industry Canada, and the UK, the Radiocommunications Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry.

The licensing comes from a tradition of making spectrum organized to prevent interference.

Anyone who tries to use WiFi in a densely populated area, especially over a large area (e.g. linking various sites in the same city) can tell you, intereference can be a problem within the license-free (aka license-exempt) frequency ranges .

The Radio Authority licenses commercial radio broadcasts in the UK.
The Radiocommuniactions Agency is "responsible for the management of the non-military radio spectrum in the UK."
At some point this year both jobs are due to be taken over by the new OFCOM, which will also take on the roles currently performed by OFTEL, the Broadcasting Standards Commission, and the Independent Television Commission (see their sites for what they do.)

Let's see what that may include:

• UK: "Although it is not illegal to sell, buy or own a scanning or other receiver in the UK, it must only be used to listen to transmissions meant for GENERAL RECEPTION. The services that you can listen to include Amateur and Citizens' Band transmissions, licensed broadcast radio and weather and navigation broadcasts."
• West Virginia: " It shall be illegal to operate or cause to be operated any electrical equipment within a two-mile radius of the reception equipment of any radio astronomy facility if such operation causes interference with reception by said radio astronomy facility of radio waves emanating from any nonterrestrial source." So you need a GPS receiver and a network link...or a postcard... to the radio astronomy facility so as to check if you're interfering?
• Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, New Caledonia, North Africa, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey,USA: Scanners illegal or reception of non-public signals forbidden.
• USA: Mobile scanners restricted in many states.
• USA: "unlawful to disclose the content of radio transmissions overheard unless they are amateur radio traffic, broadcasts to the public or distress calls."

...and IF it is approved outside the US as well!

This is not unimportant. Prices drop and rapid adoption increases when a standard is worldwide (like 802.11b on 2.4 GHz).

The 5 GHz equivalent of 802.11b (.a) will be approved at the world radio freqeuency conference in 2003 (light speed for governments) - and I was already told by the British govt Radio Agency
that the UK frequency will differ slightly from the US frequency. And that the 5 GHz standard wil be approved for commercial use (unlike the current 2.4 GHz standard).

That's just for one country, the UK. Imagine when all others (Japan, Europe, etc) also get in on the act. Result: nothing moves.

So, nice as all these new 'standards' are, I am afraid they will slow down wireless adoption.

Careful though.

a) By modifying equipment you may be breaking FCC rules (USA) or your local rules.

Additionally, in the UK, 802.11b is NOT apprived for commercial use. I spoke at length with the UK government Radio Agency last week to establish this (my company use 802.11b to connect remote advertising screens, but not in the UK where this is forbidden.)

Michael

I was actually looking through a document concerning the issues with the ISM (2.4ghz) bands today, and noticed the UK RF agency is setting aside frequencies in the 20ghz and 40ghz band for broadband wireless, since there seems to be a lot of cohesion between the various radio agencies, I presume these are being allocated world wide. They probably wont come cheap though, the third generation cellular licences were auctioned off earlier this year and generated £40 billion ($60b) in revenue. They also have a useful frequency wheel which shows you all the various allocated frequncies.

I was actually looking through a document concerning the issues with the ISM (2.4ghz) bands today, and noticed the UK RF agency is setting aside frequencies in the 20ghz and 40ghz band for broadband wireless, since there seems to be a lot of cohesion between the various radio agencies, I presume these are being allocated world wide. They probably wont come cheap though, the third generation cellular licences were auctioned off earlier this year and generated £40 billion ($60b) in revenue. They also have a useful frequency wheel which shows you all the various allocated frequncies.

I was actually looking through a document concerning the issues with the ISM (2.4ghz) bands today, and noticed the UK RF agency is setting aside frequencies in the 20ghz and 40ghz band for broadband wireless, since there seems to be a lot of cohesion between the various radio agencies, I presume these are being allocated world wide. They probably wont come cheap though, the third generation cellular licences were auctioned off earlier this year and generated £40 billion ($60b) in revenue. They also have a useful frequency wheel which shows you all the various allocated frequncies.