"forbidden" cell phone frequencies

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rrman987

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An older Uniden scanner specifically said certain frequencies (800MHz+ ?) were not programmed into scanner as those were FCC "forbidden" (analog?) cell phone frequencies. With advent of 3G, 4G, 5G phones everything is now digital ones and zeros, though not encrypted ( :unsure: ) I believe.
So curious if those "forbidden" frequencies are still in cell phone use or have been re allocated to a new service?
 
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trentbob

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The old 800 megahertz analog frequencies that you used to be able to cut a diode in radios like the pro 2004 made by GRE are no longer used. Any kind of cell phone that's used today is encrypted and you would not be able to hear them at all.
 

MTS2000des

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So curious if those "forbidden" frequencies are still in cell phone use or have been re allocated to a new service?
Yes, the legacy "A" (non-wireline) and "B" (wireline) carrier bands as part of the original "cellular radio service" are still actively in use, primarily by AT&T and Verizon, and some small regional licensees. Verizon still operates 3G CDMA on the old "A" band here in Atlanta, with some LTE in some of their markets, and AT&T has had LTE on 850MHz in some areas for years. All the carriers load balance their various chunks of spectrum across multiple bands these days. Your phone may operate anywhere from 600MHz (if you're on T-Mobile) to 2500MHz (old Sprint WiMax band) and on a variety of frequencies.

 

mmckenna

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Cell carriers value their spectrum WAY too much to give it away. They just change the type of service used on them.

Even with the diode clipped, there is no more analog and what is there your scanner will not decode.
Sure, the FCC could change/remove the rules, but it wouldn't matter.
Some of us have test equipment that will cover these ranges, and there's nothing there to listen to.
 

trentbob

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Yes, the legacy "A" (non-wireline) and "B" (wireline) carrier bands as part of the original "cellular radio service" are still actively in use, primarily by AT&T and Verizon, and some small regional licensees. Verizon still operates 3G CDMA on the old "A" band here in Atlanta, with some LTE in some of their markets, and AT&T has had LTE on 850MHz in some areas for years. All the carriers load balance their various chunks of spectrum across multiple bands these days. Your phone may operate anywhere from 600MHz (if you're on T-Mobile) to 2500MHz (old Sprint WiMax band) and on a variety of frequencies.

And we can listen to them how? If so let us know!
 

trentbob

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For the original poster, in my answer to your question I misspoke, the actual frequencies are still in use but the analog mode that we used to listen to in the '80s is no longer available, everything is encrypted now.

So yes, the frequencies are still there but we can't hear them anymore. :)
 

trentbob

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I apologize, this is going over my head here. I interpreted the op's question to be could he still hear phone calls. I was trying to answer that. We can't, if we could I would want to know about it from somebody who would have the answer.

Please don't read more into this than there is. I admitted that I misspoke. Geez.
 

Ubbe

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Scanner manufactures should really lobby for removal of that legislation to FCC that it no longer serves any purpose and it is anyhow forbidden to try and decode encrypted transmissions. The FCC as government RF experts could then present facts and appeal to the Congress. It creates additional costs to scanner manufactures to add frequency blocking software code and to block hardware hacks by pouring epoxy on circuits that then cannot be repaired in an easy way. It would then be one model with one universal firmware manufactured to cover both US, Europe and Pacific markets.

/Ubbe
 

NYG

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Scanner manufactures should really lobby for removal of that legislation to FCC that it no longer serves any purpose and it is anyhow forbidden to try and decode encrypted transmissions. The FCC as government RF experts could then present facts and appeal to the Congress. It creates additional costs to scanner manufactures to add frequency blocking software code and to block hardware hacks by pouring epoxy on circuits that then cannot be repaired in an easy way. It would then be one model with one universal firmware manufactured to cover both US, Europe and Pacific markets.

/Ubbe

It always feels once something like this is on the books, no matter how antiquated it is, that it'll take an act of God to change it.
 

MTS2000des

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Scanner manufactures should really lobby for removal of that legislation to FCC that it no longer serves any purpose and it is anyhow forbidden to try and decode encrypted transmissions. The FCC as government RF experts could then present facts and appeal to the Congress. It creates additional costs to scanner manufactures to add frequency blocking software code and to block hardware hacks by pouring epoxy on circuits that then cannot be repaired in an easy way. It would then be one model with one universal firmware manufactured to cover both US, Europe and Pacific markets.

/Ubbe
There is a lot of history and lobbying that went down on part of the CTIA to get the original ECPA of 1986 signed into law, and later, the "modernized" version in 1997.

Anyone else remember when Bob Grove got up before a house committee on oversight, I believe it was Billy Tauzin who was wide eyed when Bob showed how effortlessly it was to use a Pro-34 to receive "forbidden" cellular calls from the floor of the US house?

Loose lips sunk that ship 20 plus years ago. Ain't no one gonna raise that Titanic no matter how rusty it is in 2022.
 

trentbob

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There is a lot of history and lobbying that went down on part of the CTIA to get the original ECPA of 1986 signed into law, and later, the "modernized" version in 1997.

Anyone else remember when Bob Grove got up before a house committee on oversight, I believe it was Billy Tauzin who was wide eyed when Bob showed how effortlessly it was to use a Pro-34 to receive "forbidden" cellular calls from the floor of the US house?

Loose lips sunk that ship 20 plus years ago. Ain't no one gonna raise that Titanic no matter how rusty it is in 2022.
I do remember, Bob would modify your own radio to pick up cellular phone calls for a fee. He said it was legal according to the 1994 law because he was not selling or marketing the radios.

There was a big dust up when someone taped Republican officials talking on cell phones regarding strategy in response to Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich's reply to accusations of wrongdoing. Somehow the tape ended up in the New York Times.

Bob always claimed that there was no wrongdoing and what he was doing was within the law. It was representative Billy Tauzin from Louisiana who was chairman of some subcommittee on Telecommunications who held hearings in I believe early 1997 that Bob Grove participated in.

It's interesting that the FCC did contact Bob Grove and questioned his activities but when he rebutted that he was well within the law as it was written and was not selling or marketing radios capable of cellular reception. There was no specific mention in the law of unlocking the capability that already existed in other people's pre-existing radios. Apparently he never heard from the FCC again.
 

trentbob

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When I replied before about also remembering Bob Grove in front of the subcommittee in 1997. I gave the year as 1994 of the original Law and of course it is 1986, and that's the law that he said he was not violating by modifying pre-existing radios capable to pick up cellular calls.

That was a long time ago.
 
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