The US Federal Communications Commission announced that it will hold a vote next month on a new rule permitting state prisons and jails to utilize cellphone jammers. This proposed regulatory change aims to prevent inmates from using unauthorized cellphones to continue engaging in criminal activities through outside communication.
Upcoming Vote and Proposed Jamming Rules
The scheduled vote will take place during the agency’s open meeting on November 19. According to Engadget, the measure would consider allowing state and local incarceration facilities to opt in to using jammers, though the technology would not be mandatory. Non-federal parties are currently prohibited from using any technology that interferes with communication signals. The Federal Bureau of Prisons previously initiated testing on micro-jamming in 2018 to block unauthorized inmate phones at the federal level. The upcoming proposal could extend similar tools to state and local facilities while establishing a formal pathway for federal locations to jam signals.
Policy Reversal and Safety Standards
This initiative represents a reversal from past FCC policies that opposed using jammers to curb illegal prison cellphones. Previous agency concerns centered on potential interference with emergency and public safety communications, alongside security risks associated with releasing jamming tools into the public sphere where bad actors could exploit them. The agency’s announcement indicates that if the new rules are adopted, correctional facilities will be required to satisfy specific standards, such as proving that their jamming solutions do not generate harmful interference outside designated geographic boundaries.
Engadget noted that this shift follows another recent policy change under the current administration, when the department announced in July 2025 that it would delay the implementation of a price cap on prison phone call rates.
