US regulator to consider optional cellphone jamming in state prisons
The US Federal Communications Commission plans to vote on a rule that would let state and local prisons and jails choose to use cellphone jammers against unauthorised phones. The proposal marks a shift from the FCC’s longstanding opposition and aims to limit inmates’ ability to use illegal phones to continue criminal activity outside prison.
The vote is scheduled for 19 November, and jammer use would remain optional. Facilities would have to show that their systems do not cause harmful interference beyond designated areas; earlier concerns included disruption to emergency and public safety communications, as well as the risk of jamming technology being misused. Federal prisons began testing “micro-jamming” in 2018, and the FCC also delayed a cap on prison phone-call rates in July 2025.
In short
- The FCC plans to vote on allowing state and local prisons to jam cellphone signals.
- Facilities would have to prevent interference beyond designated areas.
- The proposal revives concerns about emergency communications and misuse.
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The case for
Allowing prisons to opt into cellphone jamming could help prevent people in custody from coordinating crime or threatening victims and witnesses through unauthorised phones. Supporters may argue that carefully confined systems, with safeguards against outside interference, give facilities a practical security tool while leaving each jurisdiction to decide whether it is suitable.
The case against
Jamming could disrupt emergency calls and public-safety communications if signals spill beyond prison grounds, creating risks for people inside and in nearby communities. Critics may also argue that technical safeguards cannot eliminate the danger of misuse or accidental interference, and that targeted enforcement against illicit phones is preferable to restricting communications across an area.
Explained simply
Cellphones are banned in many US prisons and jails, but some inmates still get hold of them. These phones can be used to contact people outside, including to organise criminal activity, and are difficult for staff to detect and block.
A jammer disrupts mobile signals so phones cannot connect to networks in a chosen area. The US Federal Communications Commission regulates radio signals, so its rules affect whether prisons can use this equipment; federal prisons have tested smaller-scale jamming systems since 2018.
Jamming can also affect phones beyond prison walls, including those used for emergency or public safety communications. Any system would therefore need limits to keep interference within designated areas, and facilities would have a choice about whether to use it.
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Originally published by Engadget as “FCC chair wants to let prisons jam illegal cellphones”.