FCC to vote on letting prisons jam inmate cellphones

The Federal Communications Commission will vote on November 19 on new rules allowing prisons to block cellphone signals inside their walls. Chairman Brendan Carr announced the agenda item during a public event. The proposal would create a licensing system for radiofrequency jamming equipment. Currently, Section 333 of the Communications Act of 1934 generally bans these devices, with few exceptions.

Carr stated that thousands of contraband phones enter prisons each year. He argued that offenders use them to order hits and coordinate gang activity. The FCC could grant licenses to specific facilities to block wireless signals. The agency noted that some federal facilities already use this technology.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr have pushed for this change. They attended the announcement. Anonymous incarcerated journalists argue the move responds to their use of phones to report civil rights violations. They cited a 2024 Department of Justice investigation into Georgia prisons. That probe found horrific and inhumane conditions based on evidence sent via contraband phones.

The proposal sets technical standards for licensed operators. Facilities must undergo testing with an experimental license to prove their equipment does not cause harmful interference outside designated zones. Additional testing is required at the specific facility before operations begin. Jamming would only occur within a Commission-authorized containment area where wireless operation is prohibited.

Carriers, FirstNet, public safety coordinators, and 911 authorities would receive advance notice of on-site testing. Nearby communities would also get notification before deployment. Commissioner Anna Gomez previously suggested starting with a pilot program. She expressed concern about unintended consequences of allowing non-federal actors to use jamming equipment.

Legislative efforts also target this issue. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2025 last year. That bill seeks to allow correctional facilities to use signal jamming technology. The FCC vote will determine the regulatory path for these licenses.