Is there a device that will block mobile phone signals at school?
There is, but you’re not allowed one in the UK! Such a signal jamming device would need to transmit on protected frequencies. And, even if it was legal, given the various mobile phone frequencies and protocols, and the size of most schools, it would’t be a trivial piece of kit.
Such a jamming device would also block mobile phones used by school teachers and the emergency services themselves, and that wouldn’t be good.
Blocking mobile phones is possible by shielding. If you’re lucky enough? to have the bunker classroom under the school, shielded by many feet of reinforced concrete you may be fortunate enough to be one of the teaching staff never to experience the buzzing and pinging of mobile phones.
There are various designs and types of lockable ‘pouches’ that can house a mobile phone in a classroom but in practice, as well as being an expensive solution, rarely block mobile signals very well, and turn into a noisy pinging wall-display-of-distraction.
What is really needed is a mobile phone network that simply disables all calls, texts and mobile data during school hours. So if there is no WiFi connection available, mobile phones will be completely disabled.
ParentShield does exactly this. And all schools need to do is recommend that parents turn on SchoolBlock.
SchoolBlock from ParentShield
Every parent has a simple ‘SchoolBlock‘ switch that, when turned on, blocks mobile phones at school between 9am and 3pm. No need to worry about remembering to turn it on and off. Quite importantly, the times are set by the Network, and not the phone itself. Some simple app-based phone controls can be circumvented as easily as changing the time on the mobile phone!
If the pre-set SchoolBlock times are unsuitable, manual blocking time controls are available under the Settings tab.
During the blocking window, the ParentShield phone can still call and text, and call and text the two special “Home Numbers” so should the unexpected happen, the child is always reachable. This is something that no radio jammer could ever achieve. Blocking an entire group of users also means that there are no ‘radio loop holes’. The Four main networks in the UK use different frequencies spread across a huge radio spectrum, so it’s possible that a radio signal jamming device might miss a particular frequency band used by one network, or that one particular frequency is harder to block because of the topography of the school buildings and grounds.
Most ParentShield customers opt to turn SchoolBlock on during term times so it is a proven and trusted way of blocking mobile phones at school with out the need to install any device or hardware.
As well as SchoolBlock and other time controls, ParentShield provides a collection of phone resources for schools covering a range of topics that can be downloaded and distributed to parents and students.
Make a WiFi sweep part of the School day
To find phones on other networks that don’t provide such signal-blocking features, it’s a simple job to install one of many Wi-Fi signal analysing apps on a teacher’s phone and scanning for unauthorised WiFi hot-spots being provided by phones hidden in bags, lockers or drawers.
UK Mobile Networks Frequency bands
UK Mobile Phone Frequencies
| 800 MHz Band | Three – 791.0 MHz- 796.0MHz Downlink Three – 832.0 MHz – 837.0 MHz Uplink EE – 796.0 MHz – 801.0 MHz Downlink EE – 837.0 MHz – 842.0 MHz Uplink Vodafone – 801.0 MHz – 811.0 MHz Downlink Vodafone – 842.0 MHz – 852.0 MHz Uplink O2 – 811.0 MHz – 821.0 MHz Downlink O2 – 852.0 MHz- 862.0 MHz Uplink | |
| 900 MHz Band | Vodafone – 925.1 MHz – 930.1 MHz Downlink Vodafone – 880.1 MHz – 885.1 MHz Uplink O2 – 930.1 MHz – 935.1 MHz Downlink O2 – 885.1 MHz- 890.1 MHz Uplink Vodafone – 935.1 MHz- 939.7 MHz Downlink Vodafone – 890.1 MHz- 894.7 MHz Uplink O2 – 939.7 MHz – 947.3 MHz Downlink O2 – 894.7 MHz- 902.3 MHz Uplink Vodafone – 947.3 MHz- 955.1 MHz Downlink Vodafone – 902.3 MHz- 910.1 MHz Uplink O2 – 955.1 MHz – 959.9 MHz Downlink O2 – 910.1 MHz- 914.9 MHz Uplink | |
| 1400 MHz Band | Vodafone – 1452.0 MHz- 1452.0 MHz Three – 1472.0 MHz- 1492.0 MHz | |
| 1800 MHz Band | O2 – 1805.1 MHz – 1810.9 MHz Downlink O2 – 1710.1 MHz – 1715.9 MHz Uplink Vodafone – 1810.9 MHz – 1816.7 MHz Downlink Vodafone – 1715.9 MHz – 1721.7 MHz Uplink Three – 1816.7 MHz – 1831.7 MHz Downlink Three – 1721.7 MHz – 1736.7 MHz Uplink EE – 1831.7 MHz – 1876.7 MHz Downlink EE – 1736.7 MHz – 1781.7 MHz Uplink | |
| 1900 MHz Band | EE – 1899.9 MHz-1909.9 MHz O2 – 1909.9 MHz- 1914.9 MHz Three – 1914.9 MHz- 1920.3 MHz | |
| 2100 MHz Band | Three – 2110.3 MHz – 2124.9 MHz Downlink Three – 1920.3 MHz – 1934.9 MHz Uplink O2 – 2124.9 MHz – 2134.9 MHz Downlink O2 – 1934.9 MHz – 1944.9 MHz Uplink Vodafone – 2134.9 MHz – 2149.7 MHz Downlink Vodafone – 1944.9 MHz – 1959.7 MHz Uplink EE – 2149.7 MHz – 2169.7 MHz Downlink EE – 1959.7 MHz – 1979.7 MHz Uplink |