Concerned Dad in France Disrupts Cell Phone, Internet Signals in His Town

The father was apparently using a multi-band wave jammer to deprive his kids of online entertainment, but the device's area of effect turned out to be much larger that the dad anticipated.

The efforts of one father to limit his kids' use of Internet and social networks after bedtime resulted in the disruption of telecommunications in an area straddling two municipalities in France, according to France Bleu.

This situation reportedly came to light when one mobile phone operator noticed that one of their antennas located in Messanges, a town in the Landes department in south-western France, had stopped working at night, usually between midnight and 3 am.

A technician from France's National Frequency Agency (ANFR), which manages all radio frequencies in the country, equipped with special gear was dispatched into the region to investigate the matter, and quickly identified a house that appeared to be the source of the interference.

When questioned, the man living in that house admitted to using a multi-band wave jammer, capable of neutralising both cell phone and wi-fi signals, which he claimed he bought to prevent his children from using the Internet and social networks at night.

While the man was plugging in the jammer each night, thinking that its effect was limited only to his residence, ANFR explained that such devices often have a "wider radius of action than one thinks or than the seller suggests".

According to ANFR, the penalty for the unnamed dad's possession and use of jammer could be up to 6 months in prison and a fine of 30,000 euros.