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Israel Blocks iPad Imports, Citing Wi-Fi Transmission Regulations
unixcrab writes with this excerpt from The Mac Observer: "Apple's iPad is proving to be popular everywhere — except Israel. The country's Communication Ministry is refusing to let people bring the multimedia tablet into the country because it hasn't tested and approved the Wi-Fi technology used in the device, according to Haaretz. Ministry officials commented, 'The iPad device sold exclusively today in the United States operates at broadcast power levels [over its Wi-Fi modem] compatible with American standards. As the Israeli regulations in the area of Wi-Fi are similar to European standards, which are different from American standards, which permit broadcasting at lower power, therefore the broadcast levels of the device prevent approving its use in Israel.' The government seems serious about its iPad import ban. Customs officials have already confiscated ten iPads and told their owners to ship them overseas."
...WI-FI transmissions are from right to left.
You will have to turn your routers and ipads upside down to make them work.
Held to a countries regulations. Oh wait, they had to pass FCC testing here too. Big whoopie fucking do.
No sig for you!!
Apple doesn't sell their own products directly in Israel, they have a distributor there. Every iPad brought in represents a lost sale for them. Sounds like they're angry about not getting the device quickly enough and losing early sales.
http://www.apple.com/il/buy/
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
I think the concern is more about travelers coming from North America. As somebody who has brought tons of American bought laptops into Israel I find this very strange indeed.
Is it coincidence that iPads are being "confiscated" shortly after Apple announced the international launch of the iPad was being delayed? I think not! :)
This is users bringing devices from overseas, having them confiscated. The ones Apple sells there would presumably meet whatever standard is required for the country.
So, I'd say poor users, being foolish enough to actually declare a device too small to really detect by customs. That'll learn 'em.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
That is pretty common in a lot of countries.
In Argentina, if you import a device with a plug different from our official plug (in size and shape), the import can be rejected.
Even if you could buy a cheap adapter in order to make it work (provided that the voltage is compatible), you are banner for importing until you request a device with the right plug.
So some people end up paying bribes to enter such a devices.
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For those who are unaware, you can click on the Prefs button at the bottom of this page, and change your settings to not display signatures in comments. I know that the parent was just trolling, but I think this is a handy piece of information that some people don't know.
The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from.
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
5Ghz is where a lot of military radar like stuff operates. In particular Israel has specific 802.11a restrictions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels
5.5Gz up is a not supposed to be used in Israel, but is open for use in US, Japan and Europe.
Here is a good, but not current, discussion of the various issues around wifi.
http://wifinetnews.com/archives/2007/01/5_ghz_or_bust.html
And more importantly, why are there different WiFi standards? Why doesn't everyone just use 802.11?
802.11 a, b, g, or n? Currently the discrepancy may be 802.11a - y2008 variant that allows for 3.7 Ghz transmissions but is only approved by the FCC, not EU governments.
There's just one series of 802.11 (WiFi) standards.
However, different countries have different power limits and different sets of allowed channels. For example, in the 802.11b/g band, most of Europe allows channels 1 through 13 at 100mW max, while the USA only allow channels 1 through 11, but with higher power limits (1W, IIRC).
Because of those regulatory differences, WiFi hardware is sold with slightly different firmware in different countries, and it may be illegal for you to use foreign WiFi hardware.
Unless, of course, they HAVE to declare or they face serious tax evasion penalties.
Face how? Remember how I said the device was just about un-detectable by security? It's super flat, if you just leave it under a laptop they wouldn't think much of in on an X-Ray.
I know Israel security is very tight, but I'm thinking incoming residents don't face much more scrutiny of luggage than in any other country I've been in - where you say you have nothing to declare, possibly get sniffed by a dog, and you are on your way.
Remember the devices are being confiscated, and the people are being told they have to send them back overseas. So if you DON'T hide them you are out $500 for sure, instead of possibly being out a bit more.
Of course, I'd just wait until they ship there, but if you're bringing in something under $1k I see to reason to really declare it as it's probably more bother than it's worth, fines or no.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
If Israel's WiFi standard is like Europe's, this begs several questions:
0) Isn't it likely that Apple has already explored this ground? If not prior to the iPad's rollout, then after introducing the same technology in the iPhone when they introduced it over a year ago throughout europe and Israel?
1) Why haven't european regulators also rejected the iPad? Since they apparently have not, they must have tested the iPad (or grandfathered it as comparable iPhone tech) and accepted it.
2) Since the europeans tested and accepted the iPad, why haven't the Israelis accepted the european test results since they're supposedly equivalent?
Sounds like the Israelis are waving a red herring. Either they're protecting an in-country product or license, or they're punishing Apple for something. Either way, this kind of pissy petulence makes them sound like a snotty child.
"I'll take my ball away and play with myself."
Have you considered moving to Israel?
I am the richest astronaut ever to win the superbowl.
please mod parent "+10 damn right". I am getting tired of 2 maxipad news a day
NOT KOSHER!!!
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You just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake!
THE CAKE IS A LIE!!!
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Stop questioning the Apple religious movement propaganda, they don't like it.
I don't really understand how this infomercial qualifies as Slashdot material, but still it needs some corrections:
1. The iPads were not confiscated - they were only prevented from entering Israel. They are still the property of whoever bought them, and he's welcome to take them back to the US and return/sell them on.
2. This regulation only applies to people trying to *sell* iPads in Israel - one piece for personal use is perfectly OK. I know many people who imported various wireless devices (walkie talkies, wifi routers, even Nexus Ones) to Israel, and as long as it's for personal use nobody challenged them at customs. Most electronics (except for musical instruments) is customs-exempt in Israel anyway.
The iPad scene in Israel: even though the thing doesn't have Hebrew text entry yet, there's still a very clear interest in it. There are companies who offer to buy it in the US and send it to you. Typical price including shipping is 2500NIS ($660):
http://www.mustop.co.il/special-deals-israel/ipad
Israel isn't the exception. The US is. This is the only country to have certified the use of the apple toy.
We make a big deal of having people who come to OUR country respect OUR laws. That means a cellphone jammer that's legal in the UK cannot be brought nor used into this country. Laptops get confiscated and searched at the border, and people are interrogated about cash. We can discuss the libertarian aspects in the other 1700 threads... BUT
Israel is doing no differently than WE do. Their communication ministry (equivalent of our FCC) dictates what is ok and what isn't, and just as the apple toys are not certified for use in Europe they are not certified for use in Israel.
I'm sorry you don't like that your laptop can be confiscated. I'm sorry you think it would be worse if you're on a business trip. Don't bring drugs to Singapore, icrap to Israel, or laptops with kiddie porn to the US. You'll lose them and your liberty.
This "article" is worthless because it implies Israel is the exception. In fact it's we who are the exception.
Time to drop the false sense of outrage and enlightenment and respect other countries rights not to live by our (US) laws.
E
In practice, though, no portable device transmits anywhere near a watt. The only way you get close to 1W ERP is if you're using a base station with a directional aerial. AFAIK, most laptops are capped somewhere around 50 mW, well below the ERP limits of any country, with typical transmit power more on the order of 10-30 mW.
Either way, it sounds like this isn't so much about the actual power, but rather about the lack of certification.
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Things get interesting internationally because the 2.4GHz ISM band is defined differently in each country (but loosely based around the three ITU regions). There is a good reference list on Wikipedia. For example, most of the world can use channels 1-13, but North American users are limited to channels 1-11 at full power (12 & 13 can be used at reduced power -- but that's too complicated for most people so the channels are restricted). Spain used to be limited to channels 10 & 11 and France to 10-13, but this has been changed as the two countries harmonise with the rest of Europe.
The nice database at Linux Wireless lists frequencies and power levels. Israel is listed as having a 2.4GHz band of 2402.000 - 2482.000 MHz with a max power of 100mW. The US band is 2402.000 - 2472.000 (narrower) with a maximum power of 500mW (much higher). If the iPad is actually running 0.5W at 2.4GHz I can see why the Israeli authorities will be a bit cranky. Australia & the UK have the 100mW limits, but people in NZ with iPads (such as @lisatickledpink) will be fine since the power limit is 1000mW (woo hoo!)
If Apple had been sensible and limited the power output to 100mW across the board then there would be no trouble with WiFi across borders, and perhaps that is what most laptop manufacturers have done (to avoid the wifi cards being ripped out at Customs)?
Perhaps they got tired of hating iPalestinians ?
i think you are mistaken about who hates who here.
true, some people here in Israel don't like Palestinians. and with a good reason, almost everyone here got family, friend, relative that got hurt/killed by palestinian terror.
i do too (more than one actually) and still i don't hate them, just hope we get along in future.
on the Palestinian side that's a bit different, while we learn in schools about how we should make peace with our Arab friends (even when some don't want to).
Palestinian learn in school how to hate us / kill us (not all i hope, but generally). and that's a hard fact.
so maybe you tried to be funny, and it is actually. but i don't like when people say we hate Palestinian cause it's just not true.
i was a solider in IDF, actually as squad leader and i have seen (on TV) how US or Russian fight in their wars,
the way and risk our soldiers take just to not hurt Palestinian is huge and unseen in any (active) armed forces around the world,
and this is something I can be proud of.
I'm sorry, but I don't see Israelis being evicted and having their homes and land demolished to make way for Palestinian settlements.
I don't see Israelis being treated lower than animals with all the border checks, permits, and now military trials just for not having the "right papers" ... which will of course take at least 6 months to "process", and in the mean time husbands / wives are separated from their spouses / siblings and barred entry to their own bloody homeland.
I don't see Israelis having their essential services cut off at a whim, so they have no electricity, water, sanitation etc.
You wonder WHY they hate you ? You can preach tolerance and understanding in your schools, you aren't the ones being ethnically cleansed.