Rohde & Schwarz Participated in Major GPS Jamming Crackdown

Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) recently played a major role in the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) crackdown on truckers using illegal Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Jammers. On March 5, 2014, Rohde & Schwarz set up an instrumented van on a major highway connected to the Portland, Oregon, airport and determined that "about every third or fourth truck was radiating at or near the GPS L1 [frequency of 1575.42 MHz].*" A report titled, "Strategies for Limiting Civil Interference Effects Inspired by Field Observations," by consultant Logan Scott, President, LS Consulting, included the R&S measurements in a detailed presentation on the issue of illegal GPS jamming and the hazards such activity causes. He cites other examples of illegal GPS signal jammers as well. In one case near the Newark, NJ, airport, a construction worker was caught and fined $32,000 for using a GPS jammer in order to prevent his company from being able to track his whereabouts. Chinese manufacturer C.T.S. Technology Company, Ltd., is being hit by the FCC** with a record $34.9 million fine for selling the jamming devices, some of which output as much as 100 watts at the GPS frequencies If you happen to have purchased on of those products from C.T.S., don't be surprised if a G-Man shows up at your doorstep sometime soon, because part of the FCC's action in addition to the fine is requiring the company to divulge all of its customers.

Rohde & Schwarz has an entire "Radiomonitoring and Radiolocation Division" business unit devoted to equipment for monitoring radio frequency activity.

* See FCC Hits Chinese GPS Jammer Vendor With Record $34.9 Million Fine, Nextgov.com

** See FCC Plans $34.9 Million Fine Against Chinese Online Retailer of Signal Jamming Devices

Video showing GPS jammer in action

Posted  June 24, 2014