The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently issued citations to two separate parties for operating home security cameras that caused harmful interference to licensed radio operations.
The first Citation and Order has been issued against a resident in Joppa, Maryland. Investigating a consumer’s complaint in late 2022 that interference from a nearby residence was blocking the reception of transmissions from Sirius XM radio, agents from the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau’s Columbia Field Office determined that the source of the interference was a surveillance camera located above a garage door of the residence. The camera did not bear any FCC Identifier or any other labeling required under the Commission’s rules.
Despite numerous communications and notices issued by the Bureau to the resident, the camera remained in operation, as verified by multiple subsequent visits to the residence by Enforcement Bureau agents.
A second Citation and Order has been issued against a York, Pennsylvania resident for causing unlawful interference in the 2500 MHz wireless services band. Once again, agents from the Columbia Field Office investigated the interference following receipt of complaints from wireless carrier T-Mobile and traced the interference to a surveillance camera system installed at a York residence. And, again, the camera system remained in operation, despite ongoing communications to the resident from the Bureau.
In both cases, the recipients of the Citations must verify that they have ended the use of their respective camera devices or face fines of up to $23,727 for each day of noncompliance.
Read the complete text of the Citation and Order in connection with the resident in Joppa, Maryland.
Read the text of the Citation and Oder in connection with the resident in York, Pennsylvania.
