Although this solution and the solutions mentioned in the above threads are technically sound, I am aghast at the sincerity with which they were suggested.
It is not appropriate to interfere with such a crucial piece of infrastructure. In developing countries especially, cell phones are the only link many people have. They run their small businesses, allow people to call family to see if they have been hurt, etc.
Would you tolerate something like this in your Country? Shut down the internet for a little while to prevent a terrorist threat?
In many cities, specialized police units either already have or are in the process of being issued cell phone jamming units.
They are being issued with these sorts of scenarios specifically in mind. If the police think there's a bomb somewhere, set to be triggered via cell phone, damn right I'd want them to block the cell phones in the local area to keep it from going off.
The problem with cell jamming technology isn't when it's being used to stop bombs from going off, the risk is that it'll be used for more trivial purposes.
Note that the posts above are not advocating disabling the cell network, but they are instead advocating autodialing -- something that is regularly tolerated (although despised) in the U.S.
According to the article, the military is already jamming cell signals along caravan routes, but one has to wonder if it's even noticeable to the locals, given that cell phones are inherently unreliable, especially in mountainous regions. Cell phone jammers are in regular use in other countries, purely for the convenience of their owners: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_jammer
It is not appropriate to interfere with such a crucial piece of infrastructure. In developing countries especially, cell phones are the only link many people have. They run their small businesses, allow people to call family to see if they have been hurt, etc.
Would you tolerate something like this in your Country? Shut down the internet for a little while to prevent a terrorist threat?