ACA considers jamming prisoners' mobile phones - News - Communications

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This story was printed from ZDNet Australia.
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ACA considers jamming prisoners' mobile phones

By James Pearce, ZDNet Australia
July 07, 2003
URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/ACA-considers-jamming-prisoners-mobile-phones/0,130061791,120275883,00.htm

The federal government has formally asked the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) to investigate the feasibility of allowing state governments to jam mobile phone signals in jails.

Last month, the NSW Justice Minister, John Hatzistergos, said he wanted jamming devices installed in some jails to prevent prisoners communicating with associates outside the prison. Currently such devices are illegal and yesterday Federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison expressed concern the technology was unproven and might affect communications outside the prison environs.

"The Minister has asked us to look at the pros and cons of using the technology," ACA spokesperson Paul Slocum told ZDNet Australia . "Until then there'll be no amendments to the current legislation."

The order was given at 6.30 pm last night, and the ACA's Radio Communications Group will today meet to determine the parameters and timeframe for the investigation.

Hatzistergos is adamant the jamming devices are necessary, and claims any technical issues can be overcome.

"The increasing guile of inmates, the small nature of the mobile phones and the capacity which those phones can be used for ... to inflict crime and to terrorise innocent civilians, should not be underestimated," he told reporters.

Mobile jamming technology has been controversial for some time. Although the ACA refused to legalise the devices in 2001 for use in restaurants, petrol stations and other public places, the proposal received significant support from the general public.

The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) has opposed a lifting of the ban on mobile jamming technology in the past, and will not be changing its position now.

"Our concern is about the effect it might have on users [outside the prison], especially those trying to dial emergency numbers," AMTA CEO Graham Chalker told ZDNet Australia . "From what I understand these are fairly indistinct technologies and may spill over to other people in the vicinity." He also said there were concerns for other technologies that use the mobile spectrum.

Chalker said AMTA would be writing to Ministers to explain its position on the proposal to change legislation to allow the mobile jamming devices.