CTIA Reiterates Opposition to FCC Prison Jamming Plan

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2026 – The wireless association CTIA is renewing its opposition to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr’s proposal to allow state and local prisons to jam contraband cell phones, arguing the move poses serious interference risks and is unnecessary given existing alternatives.

In a Tuesday, Feb. 10 letter to the Commission, the wireless trade group said, “the record reveals a wide variety of commenters who emphasize that jamming is an unwarranted interference risk to legitimate communications in light of other safe and effective solutions already available.”

CTIA further stressed that “no commenter offered any explanation or technical description of how jamming can be deployed without blocking legitimate communications.”

Carr first unveiled the plan in September, saying the FCC could reinterpret Section 333 of the Communications Act by declaring contraband prison phones “unauthorized communications.” Under that reading, jamming those signals would not violate federal law’s general prohibition on interference.

State prison agencies, Republican attorneys general, and law enforcement groups have backed the proposal. They argue smuggled phones enable inmates to coordinate crimes outside prison walls and that prisons need additional tools to combat the threat.

But mobile carriers and trade associations disagree.

In its latest filing, CTIA warned that jamming could disrupt 911 calls, emergency alerts, medical monitoring devices, crash notification systems, and first responder communications. Even if signals were intended to stay within prison walls, the group argued, interference could spill over into surrounding communities.

CTIA also pointed to Managed Access Systems as a lawful and effective alternative. Those systems monitor and block unauthorized devices through carrier partnerships, without transmitting interference into licensed spectrum.

The group urged the FCC to avoid what it called an “unlawful and unsound solution” and instead focus on “legitimate, effective, and proven solutions.”

If the Commission proceeds, CTIA suggested beginning with limited pilot programs to evaluate technical risks before authorizing broader deployment.

The FCC has not yet scheduled a vote on the matter.