XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone, uk.telecom.mobile   
   From: harrogate3@ntlworld.com   
      
   On Sat 09/04/2022 17:08, David Woolley wrote:   
   > On 09/04/2022 16:16, gtr wrote:   
   >> Why would it be illegal to listen to ANY signal that is over the air?   
   >   
   > In this case, it is because they retransmit the signal in the vehicle.   
   >   
   > However there is an also expectation of privacy.  The default UK   
   > position is that you need a licence to receive radio transmissions,   
   > although there are some exemptions.   
   >   
   > Even the US makes it illegal to listen on cellular frequencies, even   
   > though other frequencies, including the police, were open.   
   >   
   > I don't think either country has changed its legislation to reflect that   
   > cellular systems are now encrypted.   
      
   The default UK ruling is that you can only (in theory at least) listen   
   to transmissions intended for public entertainment, information, or   
   education. How anyone could be traced and/or prosecuted for listening to   
   anything in open speech on any waveband just shows how little the   
   establishment understands! Listening to civil aircraft is illegal but   
   look see how many people you see standing around the perimeter fence at   
   most major airports with scanners stuck on their ears! Radio amateur   
   licences gave a much wider brief - they could legally listen to maritime   
   transmissions for instance which is why in the UK it was necessary to   
   take a 12wpm morse test so that you could identify marine distress   
   calls. OfCom recognised some years ago that maritime comms is now   
   largely VHF for short range and satellite for longer distance so did   
   away with the morse test requirement: Japan retained the morse test for   
   a long time but set the speed at 0 wpm.   
      
   Always puzzled me why the US barred scanners from listening to cellular   
   channels but would let you listen to police. The latter have now gone   
   largely digital (mostly DMR) but with a suitable radio you can still   
   listen to them even from the UK! Barmy IMO.   
      
   For the record digital cellular has had over-the-air encryption from day   
   one. Orange wanted a much greater level of encryption but OfCom (as   
   instructed by GCHQ) would not allow it as it meant GCHQ would not be   
   able to listen in - which was why Orange was so late to market.   
   Curiously GSM cellular was only encrypted over the air but was decoded   
   to a standard phone system data stream at the base station and passed   
   over the carrier network unencrypted. Airwave (the emergency services   
   radio system) on the other hand is end-to-end encrypted.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)