Israel lifts iPad ban

David Heath
Sunday, 25 April 2010 22:35

Your IT - Mobility

Someone once said that it's very hard to get gracefully down off one's high horse.  So it is with the recent Israeli ban on importing iPads.

iTWire has previously reported that Israel suddenly started banning the import of iPads, suggesting that they were not conforming with the wireless emission standards in agreement across Europe.

This action amazed and confused experts around the world.

The Wall Street Journal for instance noted that the iPad is equipped with identical WiFi hardware to the iPhone and iPod Touch - all of which are capable of switching between the higher US power output and the lower European standard.  In fact due to the small opening through which the WiFi antenna must operate (through the Apple logo on the back of the device) it actually has lower power output that would have been expected.

Fortunately in the past few hours, Israel's Ministry of Communications has reversed its ban.  Reported elsewhere, in a statement "After intensive technical scrutiny," the Ministry has concluded "that the device which could be operated in various standards will be operated in Israel according to local standards."

This clearly doesn't explain why the Ministry didn't bother to check the specifications in the first place, of course.

One wonders if the horse was white.