IT Baseline Protection Manual - The Information Warfare Site

Threats Catalogue Deliberate Acts Remarks
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T 4.41 Non-availability of the mobile communication
network
The availability of mobile communication networks is significantly lower than
that of landline networks. Like all systems which cannot guarantee 100%
availability, mobile communication networks are often not available in the
places and at the times when they are needed the most urgently. Again, not all
mobile communication networks are designed to ensure blanket coverage.
The most frequent cause of inadequate availability of mobile communication
networks is where there are gaps in radio coverage, i.e. areas which do not fall
within the catchment area of any network provider. However, if demand is
very high, it is also possible for parts of the network to be overloaded. This
can mean that the reception or transmission of messages is prevented.
Another possibility is that noise pulse generators could cause radio
interference in a geographically defined area so that reception of mobile radio
signals is not possible there. There are also devices which can be purchased
precisely for this purpose. However, in Germany use of such devices is illegal.
Example:
The call handling capacity of a transmitting station is not sufficient when after
a major accident a huge number of people simultaneously all try to notify the
emergency services or inform their staff by mobile phone.
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IT-Baseline Protection Manual: Oktober 2000