San Diego Reader

The Federal Communications Commission, investigating an interference complaint from AT&T Wireless, traced the source to “Papa” Doug Manchester’s 8000-square-foot Carmel Valley residence.

AT&T first complained about interference between two of its cell phone towers in March. The phone carrier said it had traced the problem to a bidirectional amplifier on Manchester’s property. Such devices are used to boost spotty cell phone coverage (which has frequently been an issue with Apple’s iPhone).

The FCC, “using mobile direction-finding techniques, confirmed that source of interference was emanating from that location.”

AT&T denied having given Manchester permission to install or use the device on its frequency, and Manchester was given ten days to remove it.