The Federal Communications Commission was reportedly asked to investigate a “blocking device” that has left many Palisadians without cell phone reception for more than a month.
Since the first week in December, approximately 1,000 AT&T customers have been unable to make or receive calls north of Sunset between Bienveneda and El Medio.
Residents who called the cell phone provider were told a neighbor was causing the problems, although the company has not identified the person. Alex Carey, director of communications and news relations for AT&T, confirmed their engineers found an unauthorized “blocking device nearby” and contacted the FCC.
“AT&T tells us they discovered a neighbor with a device that is not approved by the FCC and that is blocking our cell phone signals, and that the neighbor is being uncooperative. AT&T encouraged us to contact the FCC and file a complaint, which we and our neighbors did, but we have not heard anything back,” Muskingum Avenue resident Susan Fairbairn said.
Her husband, scientist Christian Ratsch, walked through the neighborhood to map out the affected area. Reception problems were discovered on Alcima, Las Pulgas, Las Lomas, Muskingum, while Fairbairn said friends on Bienveneda and Las Casas have also had sketchy service in the last month.
“We’ve spoken to many neighbors who use their cell phone for business, so there are consequences,” she said.
Carey said the interfering device was removed Dec. 24, but residents say the problems persist. Carey believes the issues now are related to a lapse in coverage which they are trying to correct by building a new tower on Mount Holyoke. An application is pending with the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering.
Amy Kalp, an El Medio Bluffs resident and member of the Pacific Palisades Community Council, said she has been speaking with the Executive Office of the President for AT&T.
“Regardless of the nature of the outage and who is responsible, I have expressed to AT&T that they need to find a means to restore service,” she said. “We already had one 911 emergency and the resident could not make the call as they do not have a landline so it is also a public safety issue.”
An FCC spokesperson said the agency does not comment on specific enforcement issues. However, they directed the Palisadian-Post to a section of their website dedicated to cell phone “jamming.”
Cell phone jammers have become popular in recent years because people use them to block unwanted conversations in public places. The FCC has issued several public notices warning that the devices are illegal and dangerous because they block 9-1-1 calls.
“Because signal jamming devices pose such significant risks, federal law prohibits consumers from operating these devices within the United States,” the FCC states. Anyone who uses a cell phone blocker can face as much as $112,500 in fines and imprisonment.
There is no estimate for when the problem will be resolved. One trick that has helped some customers is switching to 2G mode. AT&T has reportedly credited the accounts of customers who are affected.
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