Jerusalem – Israel has
banned the import of Apple’s (NASD: AAPL) iPad into the country, saying the device’s
wireless connectivity features are incompatible with its national standards and
could potentially interfere with existing devices, the Associated Press
reported.
The ban even prevents tourists from bringing their iPads into the
country; the AP cited customs officials saying 10 iPads had already been
confiscated.
The AP noted that the U.S.
allows Wi-Fi broadcasting at higher power levels than are permitted in Europe
and Israel
— though no European nations have thus far talked about an import ban.
"If
you operate equipment in a frequency band which is different from the others
that operate on that frequency band, then there will be interference," Nati
Schubert, a senior deputy director for Israel’s Communications Ministry,
told AP.
"We don’t care where people buy their equipment … but without
regulation, you would have chaos."
Schubert added that he expects Apple to
remedy the issue before the iPad’s international release in May.
Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/vibqz
(AP)
