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From: parnass@ihu1h.UUCP (Bob Parnass, AJ9S)
Newsgroups: net.ham-radio
Subject: Cellular phones and confidentiality
Message-ID: <595@ihu1h.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 8-Jun-85 23:20:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihu1h.595
Posted: Sat Jun  8 23:20:35 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 10-Jun-85 21:27:45 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 40

x
George Chao, a cellular	phone user, provided  this  article,
published  in  the May 1985 'Ameritech Connection' by Ameri-
tech Mobile Communications, Inc.  for its Chicago/Gary	area
cellular telephone users:


	   Confidentiality Could Be A Three-Way	Street

     "One of the differences between  cellular	service	 and
     conventional  mobile  telephones  is  that	 cellular is
     'private-like.' Each side of every	 cellular  conversa-
     tion  is  assigned	its own	private	radio channel by our
     computerized system, so there  is	no  operator  to  go
     through and there are no party lines to share."

     "However, in the last six months,	sophisticated  elec-
     tronic scanners able to monitor cellular radio frequen-
     cies have become available, and Ameritech	Mobile	cau-
     tions  you	about conversations of a highly	confidential
     nature held over your mobile telephone."

     "Scanners are only	able to	lock onto one channel  at  a
     time and can not simulate our computerized	network.  In
     fact, they	can ONLY detect	one  side  of  the  cellular
     conversation  and	ONLY  for  a  brief  period of time.
     That's because our	 computer  routinely  switches	your
     call  from	one channel to another to keep the transmis-
     sion quality of your conversation at a  high  level  as
     you drive through the cellular service area."

     "While scanners are expensive and not routinely used by
     the   general   public,   be   careful   in  discussing
     proprietary or very personal  issues  when	 using	your
     mobile  telephone.	  Remember  the	 airwaves are public
     property."

-- 
===============================================================================
Bob Parnass,  Bell Telephone Laboratories - ihnp4!ihu1h!parnass - (312)979-5414