AT&T Asks FCC to Act Against Cell Booster Maker
AT&T asked the FCC to investigate and take appropriate action against Digital Antenna for “knowingly and willingly marketing and selling” cellular and PCS boosters and repeaters that are interfering with AT&T’s service. An AT&T spokesman said it has identified cases where devices made by that company resulted in thousands of dropped calls by AT&T customers. A Digital spokesman said Friday that the company was investigating the charges but declined other comment.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
“By interfering with nearby cellular sites, the devices can cause thousands of wireless calls to be blocked or impaired, possibly including 911 calls,” an AT&T spokesman said. “In addition to disrupting commercial wireless phone service -- which is frequently a lifeline in an emergency -- the devices frequently interfere with emergency public safety communications systems, jeopardizing the safety of the public and the lives of first responders.”
AT&T’s complaint is directed against devices Digital sells designed to boost cell coverage in homes and offices and on boats, RVs and other vehicles. AT&T said that in a recent case a PowerMax CMRS booster manufactured by Digital aboard a yacht adversely affected three AT&T cell sites and resulted in 3,055 blocked calls over a four-day period. In another case, devices used on two other yachts resulted in 3,831 blocked calls over three days. A typical incident occurs when a boast using one of the devices pulls into a harbor or marina and interferes with nearby cellsites, AT&T said.
AT&T asked the FCC to use the full array of remedies at its disposal against Digital including forfeitures and cease and desist orders “to prevent future illegal conduct and harmful interference by Digital.” AT&T also filed a complaint against Digital and sought an injunction in federal district court in southern Florida.
AT&T said the use of boosters is a problem increasingly faced by U.S. wireless carriers, a stance supported by CTIA. In 2006, CTIA documented problems caused by unauthorized CMRS boosters in a white paper it filed at the FCC. A year later, CTIA petitioned the commission to issue a declaratory ruling that its rules prohibit sales and use of boosters and repeaters without authorization from wireless carriers. CTIA said users of the devices are “unwittingly interfering with other customers’ use and enjoyment of mobile wireless services.”