FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency will hold a vote on November 19th to consider rules permitting prisons to deploy radiofrequency jammers to block cellphone signals. The technology is currently banned under Section 333 and the Communications Act of 1934, with limited exceptions already permitted at some federal facilities. Carr stated the measure is necessary to address what he characterized as a growing problem of smuggled phones being used for ordering violent acts and coordinating gang operations.
The proposal has received support from law enforcement officials including Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. The FCC’s licensing framework would require applicants to demonstrate that jamming equipment operates only within designated containment areas and does not cause interference beyond prison boundaries. Entities would need to pass initial and ongoing testing requirements and provide advance notice to wireless carriers, emergency services, and local authorities before deployment.
However, the initiative has faced criticism from incarcerated journalists operating anonymously, who contend that prison officials are seeking the technology to suppress coverage of civil rights violations. They pointed to evidence transmitted via contraband phones that contributed to a 2024 Department of Justice investigation into Georgia’s prison system, which documented what investigators described as severe conditions. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez previously recommended starting with a pilot program to evaluate potential effects on surrounding communities.
The announcement comes as legislative efforts advance on the same issue. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2025 during the prior year, seeking statutory authorization for signal jamming in correctional facilities.
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