Prisons Jam Illegal Cellphones, Says FCC Chair

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced plans to vote on a groundbreaking rule that would permit state prisons and jails to deploy cellphone jammers. This initiative aims to prevent inmates from using illegal cellphones, as such devices can enable them to maintain contact with the outside world and continue illicit activities.

The anticipated vote, scheduled for the agency’s open meeting on November 19, will evaluate the option for state and local correctional facilities to voluntarily implement jammers. The use of this technology would not be mandatory. Currently, any technology that disrupts communications signals is illegal for non-federal entities. Since 2018, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has been trialing “micro-jamming” in federal prisons to obstruct unauthorized cellphone usage by inmates. This proposed rule change could pave the way for similar technologies to be utilized at the state and local levels, while also providing federal facilities with a formal avenue to jam signals.

This represents a significant shift from the FCC’s previous stance, which prohibited the use of jammers to combat illegal cellphone activity in prisons. Earlier concerns revolved around the potential for jammers to disrupt emergency and public safety communications and the risk of introducing new security threats by making jamming technology accessible to malicious actors. The bulletin released today emphasizes that should the new regulations be approved, correctional facilities must adhere to specific standards, including demonstrating that “the jamming solution does not cause harmful interference outside of the designated geographic areas.”

This announcement is not the first indication of a change in the FCC’s approach to prison regulations under the current administration. In July 2025, the agency decided to postpone the implementation of a cap on the fees charged for phone calls made by inmates.