FCC in the US to consider allowing prisons to jam mobile signals — Engadget

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will put to a vote a new rule that could allow state prisons and local detention facilities to use mobile signal jammers to block unauthorized phone use by inmates. Engadget reports.

Vote scheduled for November 19

The matter will be considered at an open FCC meeting on November 19. The proposed mechanism would not require institutions to use such equipment: state and local prisons and detention facilities would be able to decide independently whether to deploy it.

Currently, the use of technologies that interfere with communication signals is illegal for non-federal entities. In 2018, the US Federal Bureau of Prisons began testing so-called micro-jamming in federal prisons to block inmates’ unauthorized use of mobile phones.

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Conditions for institutions

The initiative could extend similar tools to the state and local levels, as well as create a formal mechanism for jamming signals in federal facilities. Previously, the FCC did not allow jammers to be used to counter illegal mobile phone use in prisons.

Previous concerns included possible interference with emergency services and public safety communications, as well as the risk of jamming devices being used by criminals. If the rules are adopted, institutions will have to prove that their decision will not create harmful interference outside designated geographic areas.

In July 2025, the FCC also postponed the introduction of a cap on rates for prison phone calls.