Cell phone jamming is not only illegal, but is also a blunt, potentially ineffective instrument when not utilized by the federal government in rare instances. Learn more, in our March installment of WOW's Policy Point, on how wireless jamming technology is being illegally tested in some correctional institutions, and what legal solutions can be used to stop inmates from obtaining and using cell phones behind bars. Also see what else we have to offer in our March installment of CTIA’s Wonder of Wireless webcast.
Please upgrade your Flash Player.
The multimedia content on this page requires installation of Flash Player 8 or higher.
Please download the latest Flash Player from the Adobe Website to enjoy all of the latest CTIA.org multimedia content.
If your settings indicate that you have Flash Player 8 or higher installed and you are still seeing this message, please try uninstalling and reinstalling the Flash Player plugin.
The short answer is no. Radio frequency (RF) is very similar to leaf blowers. Leaf blowers effectively terminate conversations in the immediate vicinity and disrupt communication farther way. While it is possible to mitigate some of the noise from a jammer (or leaf blower), it is impossible to simultaneously ensure cell phone calls just inside the prison fence will be blocked and a person who is driving on a road just outside the prison won't have a dropped call. The radio noise generated by a jammer does not magically stop propagating along property lines.
When spectrum is jammed, you either end up either short in the prison with areas that are not jammed or you jam too much and it prevents people from outside the prison to make and receive calls.
Essentially, jamming is a band-aid solution. What we need to focus on is how prisoners get the cell phones and how we are going to stop this from happening.
We believe the solution is cell detection technology which would allow law enforcement the ability to detect where cell signals are coming from within the prison. Then, the guards can determine when they want to go and retrieve the illegal cell phones. This would allow intelligence to be gathered on the prisoner’s calling habits and when they want to go in to get the device.
The cost of cell detection device is comparable to the cost of a jamming device, but it provides more information.
There are a variety of problems associated with jamming technology. For example, what happens if the prisoners took over a prison? They could jam communications with the police, fire, etc. What happens if the jamming device was stolen from the prison?
Finally, cell detection technology is supported by both the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and National Emergency Number Association (NENA).
RSS Feed
When spectrum is jammed, you either end up either short in the prison with areas that are not jammed or you jam too much and it prevents people from outside the prison to make and receive calls.
Essentially, jamming is a band-aid solution. What we need to focus on is how prisoners get the cell phones and how we are going to stop this from happening.
We believe the solution is cell detection technology which would allow law enforcement the ability to detect where cell signals are coming from within the prison. Then, the guards can determine when they want to go and retrieve the illegal cell phones. This would allow intelligence to be gathered on the prisoner’s calling habits and when they want to go in to get the device.
The cost of cell detection device is comparable to the cost of a jamming device, but it provides more information.
There are a variety of problems associated with jamming technology. For example, what happens if the prisoners took over a prison? They could jam communications with the police, fire, etc. What happens if the jamming device was stolen from the prison?
Finally, cell detection technology is supported by both the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and National Emergency Number Association (NENA).