Impact of Jamming on Real Life LTE Networks: Experimental Results

Jamming is a solution often considered to create a non-LTE area in critical geographic zones such as prisons where access to public networks causes security problems. Several studies have analyzed LTE channels based on 3GPP specifications and point out the most vulnerable channels to jamming. In this paper, we examine vulnerabilities of LTE to jamming through experimental testing in commercial networks. Our aim is to identify efficient jamming strategies against LTE that can be implemented in commercial jammer. Firstly, we study the vulnerabilities of the 6 channels and signals presented in the literature as the weakest points of LTE to jamming. Secondly, through experiments carried out on real life LTE networks, we observe that although these channels and signal seems strongly vulnerable to jamming with regard to the specification, they are not so vulnerable in practice due to some constructors specific mechanisms. Furthermore, we observed that PCFICH jamming presented in the literature as the most efficient jamming attack against LTE is not always able to prevent LTE communication.