Father disables mobile radio in French town with jamming transmitter

A father wanted to prevent his children from using the Internet at night with the help of a jammer. In the process, he paralyzed the mobile communications of an entire community for three hours. He faces a fine or jail time.

No cellular service in Messanges

In Messanges, France, mobile communications did not work between midnight and three in the morning. A responsible mobile phone provider then consulted the relevant authority, which was able to quickly determine the cause: A jammer had been installed near the village, which transmits on the same frequency as mobile devices and thus prevents these mobile devices from establishing a radio connection with the nearest mast. The jammer was located in a house in the neighboring village. The homeowner admitted to purchasing the jammer on the Internet and then installing it.

Children should be sleeping and not using the Internet

The justification for installing the jammer was simple: the children living in the house should not use the Internet at night, but should sleep. The father pointed out that his children had also developed excessive media consumption in the wake of the curfews, which he wanted to curb. After internet research, the installation of the jammer had seemed to him to be the best option.

The responsible authority called in the public prosecutor’s office, which confiscated the jammer and is now investigating the case further. In France, the use of such devices is illegal and punishable by fines of up to 30,000 euros and six months in prison.