The difficult road to the promotion of jammers in New South Wales prisons
- jammerspecialist
The New South Wales Corrective Services Department is about to end its five-year trial of mobile jammer technology at Lithgow Prison, which has achieved significant results in preventing prisoners from illegally using mobile phones. However, although the Lithgow trial is seen as a success story, the technology still faces difficulties in being rolled out across the state.signal jammer
Since the Lithgow trial began in September 2013, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has not received any reports of the technology interfering with mobile services in nearby areas. The relatively isolated location of Lithgow Prison makes it difficult for jammers to spread to surrounding areas. However, not all prisons enjoy such unique geographical environments. For example, Goulburn Prison, located between Sydney and Canberra, is located near residential areas, which makes the deployment of jammers more complicated.
The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) and the Communications Alliance, which represent mobile telecommunications companies, have in principle supported the transition of the Lithgow trial into a regular technology deployment. But they also made it clear that this support does not mean a widespread expansion to other facilities. In a joint submission to the ACMA, they pointed out that the environment of each prison is unique and the isolated environment of Lithgow is unlikely to be replicated elsewhere. Therefore, the deployment of jammers for each facility needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis.cell phone jammer
This situation means that the Corrective Services Department must apply for an exemption decision from the ACMA for each prison separately. Currently, the Lithgow and Goulburn trials are being conducted through such exemption licenses. Given the difficulties that may be encountered in the future, the New South Wales Government is also exploring the possibility of using alternative technologies to prevent prisoners from using mobile phones.
The Communications Alliance and AMTA also stressed that any arrangements for jammers after 2018 need to have a built-in review mechanism to assess the impact of the technology on future 5G operations. The arrival of 5G networks will bring more technical challenges, so in the process of promoting jammers, it is necessary to remain vigilant to the development of new technologies.
Overall, despite the success of the Lithgow trial, it is not easy to promote jammer technology across the state. The challenges facing New South Wales are not only technical, but also complex at the policy, management and social levels. The Corrective Services Department needs to ensure that prisoners cannot use their mobile phones illegally while avoiding adverse effects on the normal communications of the surrounding community.
Since the Lithgow trial began in September 2013, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has not received any reports of the technology interfering with mobile services in nearby areas. The relatively isolated location of Lithgow Prison makes it difficult for jammers to spread to surrounding areas. However, not all prisons enjoy such unique geographical environments. For example, Goulburn Prison, located between Sydney and Canberra, is located near residential areas, which makes the deployment of jammers more complicated.
The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) and the Communications Alliance, which represent mobile telecommunications companies, have in principle supported the transition of the Lithgow trial into a regular technology deployment. But they also made it clear that this support does not mean a widespread expansion to other facilities. In a joint submission to the ACMA, they pointed out that the environment of each prison is unique and the isolated environment of Lithgow is unlikely to be replicated elsewhere. Therefore, the deployment of jammers for each facility needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis.cell phone jammer
This situation means that the Corrective Services Department must apply for an exemption decision from the ACMA for each prison separately. Currently, the Lithgow and Goulburn trials are being conducted through such exemption licenses. Given the difficulties that may be encountered in the future, the New South Wales Government is also exploring the possibility of using alternative technologies to prevent prisoners from using mobile phones.
The Communications Alliance and AMTA also stressed that any arrangements for jammers after 2018 need to have a built-in review mechanism to assess the impact of the technology on future 5G operations. The arrival of 5G networks will bring more technical challenges, so in the process of promoting jammers, it is necessary to remain vigilant to the development of new technologies.
Overall, despite the success of the Lithgow trial, it is not easy to promote jammer technology across the state. The challenges facing New South Wales are not only technical, but also complex at the policy, management and social levels. The Corrective Services Department needs to ensure that prisoners cannot use their mobile phones illegally while avoiding adverse effects on the normal communications of the surrounding community.