FCC to vote on allowing state prisons to use cellphone jammers

legal restrictions may soon change for state prisons seeking to block contraband wireless signals. The US Federal Communications Commission announced on October 28, 2026, that it will vote on a new rule to permit state prisons and jails to use cellphone jammers, Engadget reported. [1]

The agency aims to block inmates from using contraband devices to coordinate criminal activities outside of facilities, according to Engadget. Under existing rules, non-federal entities are strictly prohibited from using technology that interferes with wireless communications signals. [1]

The planned vote is scheduled to take place during the commission's open meeting on November 19, 2026. Engadget reported that the proposed regulation would allow state and local incarceration facilities to opt in to using signal jammers, though adopting the technology will remain optional. [1]