Why stop Illegal mobile repeaters

• They caused people to loose mobile reception
• They caused financial loss
• They have put peoples lives at risk as they could no longer make or  receive emergency txt or calls.

And that can happen by influencing the right people to make the right changes!

A glimpse about me.

My name is Paul Di Berardino. I have close to 20 years of professional working history in the field of Telecommunications, Radiocommunications, and Security Industry Sectors. I worked for the regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, consulted to Government on Telecommunications matters, supplied and installed Australian Carrier Approved Mobile Phone Repeaters to individuals, small to large businesses, Government and Carriers.

I have first hand experience in dealing with people affected by the use of illegal mobile repeaters.        

My Linked In Profile - https://www.linkedin.com/pub/paul-di-berardino/1b/71/99a

Illegal Mobile Repeater 

This petition is about stopping the supply of illegal mobile phone repeaters. 

Illegal Mobile Phone Repeaters cause interference to the mobile phone networks. Interference caused by illegal/unauthorised mobile phone repeaters increasingly puts peoples lives at risk as their calls drop out or they lose service entirely. Interference from these repeaters affected competing mobile networks too, which is becoming an increasing problem as more on-line Australian consumers purchase and use them. 

Legitimate Australian Mobile Repeater suppliers and installers are financially affected as they cannot compete on a level playing field. The dodgy mobile repeater suppliers are overseas. They use an Australian Telephone number through Skype or similar technology, a fake business address, and they use the carriers logos on their web site to look authentic.

Definition of a Mobile repeater

A mobile repeater operates within apparatus or spectrum licensed radio-frequency bands. Mobile repeaters are also used and managed by mobile carriers as part of their general network, and authorised under its Public Mobile Telecommunications Service (PMTS) licence.

Subscribers (mobile phone end users) wanting to use a mobile repeater must (with the exception of a passive mobile repeater) obtain permission from the mobile carrier under a third-party arrangement. Subscribers that operate a mobile repeater without the mobile carrier’s permission, runs the risk of causing harmful interference to the mobile network, and a number of contraventions to the Radiocommunications Act 1992 such as Unlicensed Operation and Possession. Section 474.6 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 may apply as the person unlawfully operates the mobile repeater in the carriers network which can be taken to be an action of tamper or interference. Absolute liability applies to the physical element of circumstance of the offence, that the facility is owned or operated by a carrier, a carriage service provider or a nominated carrier.

Australian  Suppliers - Increased Regulation
Australian Suppliers of Mobile Repeaters are now required to maintain records of repeater sales and location information to assist the ACMA in its investigation of interference complaints by being able to access detailed information about those devices supplied.

The amendment to the Radiocommunications 1993 (Regulations), Regulation 38B specifies the ‘particulars’ which the supplier is required to record under paragraph 301(1)(b) of the Radiocommunications  Act 1992. In summary, the ‘particulars’ include: licence holder or authorisation agreement details (for example the licence number, date of issue and expiry, full name of the licensee or a duplicate of the licence) repeater device details (for example the device’s serial or model number) and information concerning the actual transaction (for example, the date of supply, particulars regarding the identity of the recipient, such as photo identification).　

Illegal supply of repeaters - no effect by increased regulation

Recent changes to legislation has not stopped the supply and proliferation of unauthorised Mobile Phone repeaters into Australia. There is ongoing misleading information from overseas sellers continuing to target Australian Consumers, and they're using search engine advertised marketing such as Google Adwords, to entice consumers to purchase and use their mobile repeaters that are illegal to possess or operate under Australian Law. The changes has only affected Australian Suppliers that can be directly governed under Australian Jurisdiction. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and Australian carriers reported a number of instances of illegal mobile repeaters they found which caused interference, through twitter feeds, online news services or web sites.

Some examples:

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/309950,telstra-suspects-underbelly-of-illegal-repeaters.aspx

http://www.mobilephonebooster.com.au/legal-mobile-phone-booster.html

http://www.telcoantennas.com.au/site/3g-next-g-4g-repeaters-sale-australia

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-07/mobile-repeaters-disrupting-mobile-phone-signal/6287256 ;;

According to Telstra, dodgy mobile repeaters can cost as little as $70 on the internet which is about 10 times cheaper than a legitimate one.

Many consumers affected or scammed into purchasing a mobile repeater that is illegal to use in Australia at some stage would be visited by a carrier or and ACMA Inspector, and given notice to stop using the repeater, because it would have caused interference to the mobile phone network.

Google Adwords 

 As mentioned before, the suppliers use Google Adwords to market the product which is completely against the Google Adword Policy - Misrepresentation of Self, product or service.

Google Adword policy - https://support.google.com/adwordspolicy/answer/6020955

The dodgy seller uses key words and logos such as Telstra Next G, Optus and Vodafone and does not provide any evidence that the repeater shall be authorised by the Australian Carrier. I received reports from persons lodging complaints to Google, and they continue to support these advertisers because Google continue to receive revenue from their advertising.

 Legitimate suppliers

Currently there was only one known importer that has agreements with all three Australian Carriers, other than the mobile carriers themselves (Optus Telstra and Vodafone), that supply Mobile Phone repeaters that can be authorised under a third party agreement. The repeaters are manufactured by Nextivity Inc. The mobile repeaters are imported by Powertec Telecommunications Australia Ltd and distributed by a number of retailers and installers across the country. The repeaters are sold under the Cel-Fi brand to subscribers.

Applicable Standards

Currently there were no Regulatory Australian Telecommunications Standards applicable to mobile repeaters. However the 3rd Generation Project Partnership (3GPP)[7] developed technical specification TS25.143 to allow manufacturers to assess performance of the repeaters against the specification as a benchmark.

Other applicable standards that may apply are the Radiocommunications EMC Standard 2008[8] for external power supplies, and ARPANSA standard relates to the electromagnetic radiation exposure to humans.[9]

What needs to be done

This petition is based  stamping out illegal mobile repeaters by influencing the right people to make the right changes.

That can happen by influencing:

• Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull,
• the ACCC, and
• Google.

All persons who agree  something needs to be done should sign this petition and share this information with other persons.

I urge persons scammed into buying a dodgy repeater to include the repeater and the supplier details or web site URL, as it provides the essential evidence of these dodgy companies required by Government and Google to stop the selling of the illegal repeaters.

Proposed legislative change - Repeater labelling scheme

Amendment to the Radiocomunications Act 1992 should include the prohibition of Mobile Repeaters, and allowance for a permit labelling scheme to allow the supply of Authorised Mobile Repeaters.

Suppliers authorised under the permit labelling scheme will not be further burdened on the scheme because the information currently required under current legislation should satisfy the documentary requirements to obtain a permit.

The permit scheme will enhance the legitimacy of approved repeater models. The permit scheme should require the carrier to issue a permit number which is placed on the mobile repeater. That permit number references the mobile repeater name, brand model ... via the carriers web page.  

The permit scheme will:

• Enable carriers to maintain a simple web page listing legitimate repeaters
•  Enable industry to recommend and reference legitimate repeaters by pointing to the carriers web page. 
• Allow buyers to easily identify legitimate repeaters by checking the carriers web page.
• The scheme will place more pressure on entities such as Google to remove advertisers of dodgy repeater sellers.

Thank you in taking the time to consider this petition

End.