FCC found bitcoin mining on the 700MHz wireless communication frequency interference

With bitcoin recovery in recent weeks, equipment and individuals plunged into unprofitable equipment during the downturn have returned to mining operations. However, in a recent Federal Communications Commission investigation, Brooklyn, New York The mining business creates a whole new problem, not electricity, heat and unacceptable noise pollution.

T-Mobile complained to the FCC that its 700MHz LTE network in Brooklyn had radio interference from residential radio transmissions.The FCC found it entirely because the property owner used ASIC mining hardware to validate bitcoin transactions.The specific hardware Bitmain Antminer S5.

The FCC commented at the end of the investigation:

'At the frequency assigned to the T-Mobile broadband network, the miner spuriously emits and causes harmful interference.'

The agency said in a letter on Thursday that continued use of the hardware by individuals would constitute a violation of federal law and could lead to fines or criminal prosecutions.

Digging and validating bitcoin has brought the pain of PC gamers and scientists so far that NVIDIA has recently urged retailers to stop selling their hardware to miners.