October 2021, at the Hippodrome de Longchamp. As the crowd of spectators leaves the scene after the competition, many of them can no longer open their cars. ANFR agents are then called to the rescue to try to understand where the problem comes from.
The ANFR does not just produce studies on the hypothetical health risks of 5G. The organization is also made up of agents responsible for intervening during a frequency jamming, or just to make sure an event runs smoothly. This is how several of them, accompanied by two agents from the Regional Service of Villejuif, were mandated by the organizers of the 100th edition of the Qatar Arc de Triomphe Prizehaving taken place at the Paris-Longchamp racecourse, in October 2021.
Equipped with their laboratory vehicle stuffed with measurement and localization tools, the team of experts did not find anything abnormal during the competition. But the problems start when the spectators leave the racecourse. Indeed, once in the car park, several of them can no longer open their car. No matter how many times they press their key, nothing works. Meanwhile, ANFR agents spot ano anomaly on the 433.8 MHz frequency. A signal is emitted there continuously, without the source being known.
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Motorists deprived of their car because of a bad signal
Experts quickly make the connection between the two phenomena. Thus, certain so-called “hands-free” keys, which emit a signal when the car approaches to unlock it without having to make the slightest gesture – which can moreover prove to be very risky – were configured on this famous 433.8 MHz frequency. However, this one being occupied full time by the mysterious transmitter, it is impossible to use his keys to open his door.
The ANFR vehicle was fortunately not subject to the problem. The agents were therefore able to find the trace of the signal, which actually came from a transmitter on the other side of the racecourse. The latter was originally used for activate race countdown, but an error kept it running after the competition. It was enough to deactivate it for everything to go back to normal.
