Cellular Networks Should Surrender Revenue From Illegal Cell Phones

A firm which sells mobile phone jammers for use in prisons is demanding that phone companies be forced to hand over revenues from call time generated by contraband phones. The CEO of CellAntenna Corporation, Howard Melamed said tha the money would pay for the extra guards and equipment needed to tackle the growing epidemic of inmates using cell phones in prisons.

"The cellular providers through the CTIA say they sympathize and support law enforcement in their fight against illegal cell phones in prisons, but lobby our government to deny law enforcement access to jamming equipment," said Howard Melamed, President and CEO of CellAntenna. "As long as they oppose providing law enforcement the authority to jam illegal cell phones, they should voluntarily turn over any revenue made from illegal cell phones to them. No one should profit from criminals."

Under the CellAntenna proposal a correctional facility that finds a cell phone used by an inmate can order the carrier associated with that cell phone to turn over all income earned from the illegal cell phone. It is claimed that the millions of dollars in revenue that the carriers are making would fund the cost of the searches and other less effective equipment that CTIA wants the prison authorities to use.

"Taxpayers need to know that it is costing our state and local governments millions of dollars for our prison authorities to search for cell phones," continued Melamed. "CTIA representing the cellular service providers is standing in the way of law enforcement officers by denying them access to 100% effective low-cost jamming equipment. The least they can do is pay for additional enforcement and security to assist prisons in tracking elusive cell phones."

Posted to the site on 2nd April 2009