The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology warns that the use of jamming devices is illegal. It said that any attempt to employ equipment jamming the mobile phone signal will be examined and penalized in accordance with the law, IPN reports.

According to a communiqué from the Ministry, the use of radio frequencies/channels without license and technical permit is punished with a fine of 2,000 to 10,000 lei. Under Article 35 of the Law on Electronic Communications, the use of radiocommunication stations that do not meet the broadcasting norms is banned.

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) is responsible for identifying violations and informing the competent bodies.

The use of jamming equipment is banned in all the EU member states because these devices disrupt authorized radio communications, it is said in the communiqué.

In the June 17 meeting of Chisinau City Hall officials, Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca demonstrated a device that jammed Internet connection and the mobile telephone signal in the hall for several minutes. He said that this way the publication of answers to Baccalaureate exam papers on social networking sites could have been avoided and the Education Ministry would have incurred much lower costs than for installing video cameras, which, according to him, could not stop copying.