Is it illegal to interfere with mobile phone signals?

avoidtheupsidedownbottles

Mentally unbalanced downstairs neighbour has been pursuing a campaign of abuse for a year or so.  He successfully jammed my wifi signal so that I have to use use cables.  Now I find my mobile data is being constantly interrupted to the extent that some pages cannot be loaded at all.  And yes this all began before CV-19 increased demand.
Can anyone advise what my rights are?  If as I suspect it is the neighbour blocking the signal, can I pursue this with the council or communications agency or other?
Thanks for any advice.

stragglebod

What evidence do you have that your neighbour is in some way blocking both your Wi-Fi and mobile signals?

avoidtheupsidedownbottles

stragglebod said:

What evidence do you have that your neighbour is in some way blocking both your Wi-Fi and mobile signals?

Nothing definitive as that would need specialist instruments.  The phone and laptop work fine in other wifi hotspots and when tethered at a local park using mobile data.  I'm 98% sure it's him blocking things.

dan958

avoidtheupsidedownbottles said:

stragglebod said:

What evidence do you have that your neighbour is in some way blocking both your Wi-Fi and mobile signals?

Nothing definitive as that would need specialist instruments.  The phone and laptop work fine in other wifi hotspots and when tethered at a local park using mobile data.  I'm 98% sure it's him blocking things.

Again, why are you 98% sure it is your neighbour? You can't just throw wild claims like that.
Try changing the channel on your router. Mobile data, it could be a number of things causing that. Do any of your friends or family on different networks get the same issue when in your house?

Andy_L

Criminal offences

Use of jammers

It is a crime to use any apparatus, including jammers,   for the purposes of deliberately interfering with wireless telegraphy (radio communications) in the UK. The maximum penalty is two years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. See section 68 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/interference-enforcement/spectrum-offences/jammers

avoidtheupsidedownbottles

Thanks Andy_L that's pretty clear.  Don't suppose the Police will be too interested just now but perhaps in a few months time.

 dan958 said:

avoidtheupsidedownbottles said:

stragglebod said:

What evidence do you have that your neighbour is in some way blocking both your Wi-Fi and mobile signals?

Nothing definitive as that would need specialist instruments.  The phone and laptop work fine in other wifi hotspots and when tethered at a local park using mobile data.  I'm 98% sure it's him blocking things.

Again, why are you 98% sure it is your neighbour? You can't just throw wild claims like that.
Try changing the channel on your router. Mobile data, it could be a number of things causing that. Do any of your friends or family on different networks get the same issue when in your house?

I just use tethered data with the phone linked by wifi (or used to anyway).  

stragglebod

If you report this to the police they will probably also conclude that there's a mentally unbalanced person living in your building pursuing a campaign of abuse against one of their neighbours.

a

Think it is harder to jam a wifi signal. The transmitter is local to you. For him to do it, it his signal will have to overcome the absorption of the wall and still be a significant strength to block yours, so he does need a very stong signal. There is a greater change of him conducting a deauthentication attack rather than blocking a signal, as it is much easier and cheaper.

nologo

It may be something else, wireless weather station,? microwave oven,? also its offcom you report it to,  although I know of someone who did report it (the remote unlock on his and the neighbours  cars didn't work  within100 yards his house and  they came out (there was a charge £100 if memory serves) & it turned out it was his own super dooper wireless weather station!   ........they were very good about it.

dan958

avoidtheupsidedownbottles said:

Thanks Andy_L that's pretty clear.  Don't suppose the Police will be too interested just now but perhaps in a few months time.

 dan958 said:

avoidtheupsidedownbottles said:

stragglebod said:

What evidence do you have that your neighbour is in some way blocking both your Wi-Fi and mobile signals?

Nothing definitive as that would need specialist instruments.  The phone and laptop work fine in other wifi hotspots and when tethered at a local park using mobile data.  I'm 98% sure it's him blocking things.

Again, why are you 98% sure it is your neighbour? You can't just throw wild claims like that.
Try changing the channel on your router. Mobile data, it could be a number of things causing that. Do any of your friends or family on different networks get the same issue when in your house?

I just use tethered data with the phone linked by wifi (or used to anyway).  

Oh.
So there was me thinking that it was a bit odd that your Wifi and Mobile data were both playing up - but now you say that your wifi is just through mobile data. Seems you are just having issues with your mobile network, contact your provider.

[Deleted User]

Not overly sure it’s your neighbour, but blocking signals is illegal (I think)