Home › News ›

BART Adopts Cell Shut-Down Rules, FCC Investigates

Dec 3, 2011, 10:21 AM by Eric M. Zeman

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) agency has approved a set of guidelines which will be used to determine whether or not to shut off cellular services along its routes. The shut down would occur "only in the most extraordinary circumstances that threaten the safety of District passengers, employees and other members of the public, the destruction of District property, or the substantial disruption of public transit service." The guidelines are being adopted in the wake of a service shut down that occurred in August when the BART attempted to disrupt a planned protest. The federal government, however, is going to examine the BART's guidelines. "For interruption of communications service to be permissible or advisable, it must clear a high substantive and procedural bar," wrote Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski. "The legal and policy issues raised by the type of wireless service interruption at issue here are significant and complex. I have asked Commission staff to review these critical issues and consider the constraints that the Communications Act, First Amendment, and other laws and policies place upon potential service interruptions. We will soon announce an open, public process to provide guidance on these issues."

BART / Mashable »
CNET »

Related

Qualcomm Taps Iridium for Satellite Connectivity

Jan 5, 2023
Qualcomm has revealed Snapdragon Satellite , the company's solution for connecting Android phones directly to satellites for truly global coverage. The feature uses the Iridium network, a satellite constellation that has has been in operation for 25 years.

Apple Updates its Maps App

Jun 7, 2021
A revamped Maps app in iOS 15 will offer a number of new and improved features to better compete with Google Maps. While giving real-time driving directions, the app will now show complex highway interchanges in an accurate 3D view.

FCC Proposes New Rules Addressing SIM Swap Fraud

Oct 1, 2021
The FCC has proposed new rules for wireless telecom carriers to require best practices for authenticating customers who are attempting to move service to a new phone or new carrier. The rules are an attempt to crack down on SIM swap fraud and port-out fraud, where a bad actor impersonates a wireless customer in order to take over their phone number.

Verizon, AT&T Moving Forward with C-Band 5G Launch This Week Over FAA Objection

Jan 2, 2022
Verizon and AT&T this morning refused a request by federal transportation officials to delay this week's planned launch of 5G service in the critical new C Band. [Update: By evening, the two companies agreed to a two-week delay.] The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) insists that the service could potentially interfere with radio altimeters that planes use to measure distance to the ground in poor weather.

AT&T, Verizon Agree to Hold Back C Band 5G Near Airports

Jan 18, 2022
AT&T and Verizon are moving forward with this week's launch of 5G service in the new C Band, but have voluntarily agreed to new restrictions around airports at the request of major US airlines. The airlines have asked for 5G in the C Band to be banned within two miles of airport runways, a limitation that will severely reduce availability of the service in some cities.

Comments

This forum is closed.

This forum is closed.

KOL4420

Dec 5, 2011, 9:06 AM

Hrmm.

This is utter BS... Cell phones have been used and not until there some type of protest do they disrupt cell phone usage... I was there at the BART district in August... -.-

evrodude

There is no law that states that transit agencies are required to provide cell phone service at stations and/or in tunnels along service routes. BART does it only as courtesy and convenience to riders. As such, it can choose to take away that courtesy...
(continues)

...

jmoita2

Just as happened in Egypt,when the masses find new means to organize, the power structure finds a way to just push a button and turn everything off... Remember the "Free Speech Zones"???

Page 1 of 1