Israel Blocks iPad Imports, Citing Wi-Fi Transmission Regulations

unixcrab writes with this excerpt from The Mac Observer: "Apple's iPad is proving to be popular everywhere — except Israel. The country's Communication Ministry is refusing to let people bring the multimedia tablet into the country because it hasn't tested and approved the Wi-Fi technology used in the device, according to Haaretz. Ministry officials commented, 'The iPad device sold exclusively today in the United States operates at broadcast power levels [over its Wi-Fi modem] compatible with American standards. As the Israeli regulations in the area of Wi-Fi are similar to European standards, which are different from American standards, which permit broadcasting at lower power, therefore the broadcast levels of the device prevent approving its use in Israel.' The government seems serious about its iPad import ban. Customs officials have already confiscated ten iPads and told their owners to ship them overseas."

Aw poor Apple

[aztektum]

Held to a countries regulations. Oh wait, they had to pass FCC testing here too. Big whoopie fucking do.

For travelers

[WiiVault]

I think the concern is more about travelers coming from North America. As somebody who has brought tons of American bought laptops into Israel I find this very strange indeed.

Nothing to do with Apple

[SuperKendall]

This is users bringing devices from overseas, having them confiscated. The ones Apple sells there would presumably meet whatever standard is required for the country.

So, I'd say poor users, being foolish enough to actually declare a device too small to really detect by customs. That'll learn 'em.

Re:Aw poor Apple

[99BottlesOfBeerInMyF]

Held to a countries regulations. Oh wait, they had to pass FCC testing here too. Big whoopie fucking do.

That's not exactly the issue. The iPad uses standard wifi 802.11, just like many other devices. If Apple wants to sell in a given country, they need to submit to approval from their version of the FCC but (and this is what is different) it's really weird to confiscate random wifi devices being carried into the country by individuals. A whole lot of laptops aren't sold directly in Israel and are not confiscated at the border when tourists bring them in.

Now probably the iPad is just high profile and looks different enough that customs people can tell at a glance what it is and know it is not approved, but it certainly does seem to be being singled out from all the other wifi hardware regularly carried into Israel.

Re:Non sequitir

[Anonymous Coward]

Begging the question [wikipedia.org]...

Re:Simple solution

[bell.colin]

Stop questioning the Apple religious movement propaganda, they don't like it.

Re:Something is better than nothing

[tophermeyer]

I know Israel security is very tight, but I'm thinking incoming residents don't face much more scrutiny of luggage than in any other country I've been in - where you say you have nothing to declare, possibly get sniffed by a dog, and you are on your way.

That is how US customs works, but Israel takes airport security to an entirely different level. You could probably get lucky and get a small device like that through an x-ray, but Israeli security officers make a point to question every person that passes in and out of their facility. These guys are some of the best trained and most experienced in the world in deception detection. My assumption is that the people that are smuggling iPads are not the kind of people that are experienced with masking their deception. Plus, the Israeli's have absolutely no problem with randomly grabbing people out of the crowd and rifling through their luggage.

Israel is just about the last place in the world I would try to smuggle anything through an airport.

Re:Nothing to do with Apple

[falconwolf]

But don't let that dissuade you from disseminating false information...

I am willing to learn, can you proof she was not run over by a bullbozer" Or are you dissemination false information yourself?

Falcon

Re:Why....

[daveime]

I'm sorry, but I don't see Israelis being evicted and having their homes and land demolished to make way for Palestinian settlements.

I don't see Israelis being treated lower than animals with all the border checks, permits, and now military trials just for not having the "right papers" ... which will of course take at least 6 months to "process", and in the mean time husbands / wives are separated from their spouses / siblings and barred entry to their own bloody homeland.

I don't see Israelis having their essential services cut off at a whim, so they have no electricity, water, sanitation etc.

You wonder WHY they hate you ? You can preach tolerance and understanding in your schools, you aren't the ones being ethnically cleansed.