Westminster Abbey gets cell phone jammers for royal wedding

Now those of you living Stateside will probably be kicking up a fuss as to why there is so much coverage on news channels concerning the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, never mind that their lavish union will probably be the third most expensive one in the history of mankind (Prince William’s parents’ wedding, of course, takes the cake after being adjusted for inflation). To make sure that the solemn yet joyous ceremony will not be interrupted by the indignity of a Justin Bieber ring tone, cell phone jammers will be installed throughout Westminster Abbey. This means you can forget about receiving Twitpics or tweets, Facebook updates and other forms of communications from cell phones and devices that rely on a cell connection throughout the ceremony.

It was the Royal Family’s decision to install these jammers in place from early Wednesday onwards, and they will be removed only after the wedding is over – with full co-operation from police officials in London, of course. A total of around 1,900 guests will be inside the Abbey to attend the wedding, and since most of them are celebrities and politicians, it would be nice for them to have a communications breakdown at least for an hour or two (as long as the ceremony lasts), enjoying some much needed peace and quiet in the process.

Bear in mind that cell phone jammers are illegal in the UK, where violators will be on the receiving end of a minimum two-year jail sentence or a fine. Guess being blue-blooded has its perks and privileges after all.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Cellphones, Gadgets, Top Stories