Re: PCS Encryption?

[Bill Stewart <stewarts@ix.netcom.com>]

At 04:23 PM 1/31/97 -0800, William Knowles wrote:
>.. Primeco digital phone which uses CDMA technology to scramble 
>the calls and makes passive listening next to impossible.
>  (Primeco is a PCS phone)
>I have been having one helluva a time trying to find more
>information on the encryption used with Primeco, I have 
>spoken to customer service twice & the local rep told me that
>the the Chicago FBI asked Primeco to shut off a phone this
>week because they can't listen in on what is been said,
>To which the the Primceco guys reply, If the feds can't listen
>in then I shouldn't be worried.

Many low-level phone company people don't know from encryption,
and consider just being digital to be enough to satisfy their
market's demand for privacy :-(  On the other hand, if they're
telling the truth that the FBI had somebody's cellphone shut down
because they couldn't wiretap it, that's pretty outrageous,
and would seem to constitute a "taking".

>Excuse me if this posting is a little off topic, But I have
>nearly looked everywhere on the WWW to no avail.

CDMA is Code Division Multiple Access, a spread-spectrum
technology that lets them manage bandwidth efficiently as well as
providing a certain level of privacy (assuming they really are
using CDMA, as opposed to TDMA).  If there is encryption,
it's probably the IS-136 stuff.  Phil Karn from Qualcomm
was on the standards committees when the NSA was arm-twisting them
into making sure it's too wimpy to keep out the NSA,
and of course the spread-spectrum is a bit less private when
you can subpoena the spreading codes...  But it really is
much better than nothing.  Here's a posting from John Young;
you'll also want to look at the CAVE material on www.jya.com.

=================================================================
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 17:44:49 -0500
From: John Young <jya@pipeline.com>
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Cellular Encryption Docs

Thanks to David Wagner and Steve Schear, we've learned about the
latest documents on cellular encryption which supercede the
1992 CAVE document, Appendix A to IS-54, which contained the CAVE 
algorithm. Here are the latest, followed by ordering information.

  TIA/EIA/IS-136.1-A -- TDMA Cellular/PCS - Radio Interface -
  Mobile Station - Base Station Compatibility - Digital Control
  Panel, October, 1996, 372 pp. $350.00.

  Addendum No. 1 to IS-136.1-A, November, 1996, 40 pp. Free.

  TIA/EIA/IS-136.2-A -- TDMA Cellular/PCS - Radio Interface -
  Mobile Station - Base Station Compatibility - Traffic Channels
  and FSK Control Channel, October, 1996, 378 pp. $310.00.

  TIA/EIA-627 -- 800 MHZ Cellular System, TDMA Radio Interface, 
  Dual-Mode Mobile Station - Base Station Compatibility
  Standard, June, 1996, 258 pp. $120.00.

These documents can be ordered from:

  Global Engineering Documents
  15 Inverness Way East
  Englewood, Colorado 80112
  Telephone: 1-800-854-7179

However, each of the documents lists the following related 
supplements which contain "sensitive information" and may be 
obtained by US/CA citizens from TIA by signing a Non-Disclosure 
Agreement and acceptance of export restrictions:

  Appendix A to IS-136.

  Appendix A to 627.

  Common Cryptographic Algorithms.

  Interface Specification for Common Cryptographic Algorithms.

These controlled documents can be requested by calling Ms. Sharon
Vargish at 1-703-907-7702, who will fax an NDA, and upon receipt of
the completed form, will send the controlled documents at no cost.

Here's the NDA:

         AGREEMENT ON CONTROL AND NONDISCLOSURE OF
              COMMON CRYPTOGRAPHIC ALGORITHMS
          REVISION A TO IS-54, IS-95, AND IS-136
      [Note: 627 supercedes IS-54; IS-95 is for CDMA]


"I, _________________________, an employee/consultant/affiliate
       (typed name)

of __________________________, hereafter, "the company,"
      (Company name)

_____________________________
      (Company address)

_____________________________

and a United States or Canadian citizen, acknowledge and understand
that the subject documents, to which I will have access contain 
information [which] is subject to export control under the
International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) (Title 22, Code
of Federal Regulations, Part 120-130). I also understand that the
subject documents represent valuable, proprietary and confidential
business information of TIA and its members. I hereby certify that
this information will be controlled and will only be further 
disclosed, exported, or transferred according to the terms of the
ITAR.

______________________________       _____________________________
Signature                            Date

______________________________       _____________________________
Printed Name                         Witness

______________________________       _____________________________
Title                                Printed Name of Witness

[End NDA]



============================================================================


#			Thanks;  Bill
# Bill Stewart, +1-415-442-2215 stewarts@ix.netcom.com
# You can get PGP outside the US at ftp.ox.ac.uk/pub/crypto/pgp
#     (If this is a mailing list, please Cc: me on replies.  Thanks.)