ACMA to crack down on illegal repeaters

The Australian Communications and Media Authority will spend the next year targeting devices like illegal mobile repeaters and jammers that interfere with radiofrequency spectrum.

The regulator briefly set out its compliance agenda for the current financial year in a blog post, saying it would also target non-compliant DECT phones and headsets as well as online stores that do not test goods they sell to Australian consumers to ensure they meet regulatory guidelines.

The move comes as telcos such as Telstra have reported increasing mobile network issues attributed to devices like illegal repeaters.

Such repeaters — available for sale online — can interfere with the services of other users in a cell, or knock coverage out to an entire geographic area.