FCC Grants Securus Temporary Waiver on Prison Video Pricing Rules
Critics say waiver gives Securus an unfair edge as other providers face compliance deadline of Monday, April 6.
WASHINGTON, April 6, 2026 - The Federal Communications Commission granted Securus Technologies a limited waiver of its prison communications pricing rules Friday, just before a compliance deadline took effect Monday.
The 90-day extension is significantly shorter than Securus’s earlier request to delay compliance until 2027. The FCC said strict compliance with its 2025 ICPS Order by the April 6 deadline would be impracticable for Securus, and could disrupt access to video communication services.
The decision comes amid ongoing disputes over prison communications pricing, including legal challenges from providers and advocacy groups following the FCC’s 2025 order raising interim rate caps after companies argued earlier limits were too low.
Securus had challenged the FCC’s 2024 rate-setting order in court but has since moved to drop parts of that case following the FCC’s adoption of higher interim caps.
Providers must adopt per-minute pricing to ensure rates for prison communications services are fair and transparent under reforms implementing the Martha Wright-Reed Act.
Securus has not fully transitioned, relying instead on per-session billing across multiple platforms, including legacy systems and newer platforms. The company expects to convert a “substantial majority” of facilities by April 6, the compliance deadline set by the FCC last December, Securus said.
The FCC found “special circumstances” and argued that the waiver serves the public interest, accepting Securus’s argument that immediate compliance could force it to shut down video services or operate at a loss.
Under the FCC’s conditions, Securus must ensure rates comply with per-minute caps and reduce session prices where necessary, including lowering a $5.00, 20-minute session to about $3.80 for an effective rate of $0.19/minute. The company must also issue refunds for unused time within 48 hours and submit monthly progress reports.
The FCC’s approach to prison communications pricing has been politically divisive. Republican FCC chairman Brendan Carr has argued rate caps set by the previous administration led some facilities to scale back or discontinue services, while Democratic commissioner Anna Gomez criticized higher rates set in June 2025 as shifting costs onto “families in incredibly vulnerable situations.”
The waiver request drew criticism from Global Tel*Link Corporation, which said the decision gives Securus an unfair advantage as competitors have already complied.
Data cited in related FCC proceedings suggests about 76 percent of prison systems already comply with earlier rate caps, reinforcing Securus’s status as an outlier.
The FCC’s 2025 rate order remains under legal challenge from advocacy groups, who argue the agency weakened consumer protections.
The FCC said the waiver’s limited duration and pricing safeguards mitigate potential harm.
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