Cell phone scanners make intercepting and monitoring of cellular telephone conversations as easy as pressing a button.
There are two types of cell phone scanners
Analog
Digital
Analog Type
Can intercept AMPS analog cellular communications only and NOT the new digital phones.
AMPS is the original US analog cellular telephone standard that is used by all analog units in the US.
UPDATE: As of March 2005, because of a 911 "location finding" service requirement, cellular companies now utilize a mix of analog and digital signals, meaning these analog cell phone scanners will only hear one side of any analog cellular conversation.
As you can see there's no use in buying these analog devicess anymore.
Digital Type
These first class devices can intercept the communications of the new digital mobile units.
Usually packaged with a recorder, digital cell phone scanners such as this one have the ability to monitor as many as 20 conversations simultaneously.
Simply in a class of it's own, at 420 000$ it is very expensive and restricted to law enforcement and government agencies.
Can intercept AMPS analog cellular communications only and NOT the new digital phones.
These first class devices can intercept the communications of the new digital mobile units.