Let me start by saying that iTWire in no way condones any behaviour based on the research being reported - it is illegal under all manner of legislation. However, being illegal hasn't stopped the bad guys in the past (nor will it in the future), and being aware of possible illegal behaviour better arms the "good guys."
Recent research has starkly shown that as wireless telephony complexity (and speed) increases, the opportunity for disruption also increases. Almost always, disruption is focussed on signal jamming, and this approach is no exception.
As the research by Dr Jeffrey Reed and his Virginia Tech team shows, LTE is reliant upon a continuous stream of control instructions that make up a tiny part (less than 1%) of the overall communications signal, but without which, the remaining 99% cannot be used.
"Your phone is constantly syncing with the base station" to manage the flow of information, whether it be a telephone call or a web page, said Marc Lichtman, co-author the study. "If you can disrupt that synchronization, you[r device] will not be able to send or receive data."
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The team has identified eight significant weaknesses in the LTE configuration, any one of which could bring all communications to and from a targeted base station to a complete halt.
For those interested, a simple device retailing for as little as $US650 could enable the attack with ease when used in conjunction with any laptop computer.
One hopes that those who continue to advocate a wireless-based alternative to Australia's NBN are paying close attention to research such as this. Things can only get worse.
