Chilean prisons introduce new signal blocker technology to deal with mobile phone problems

　　As of March 19, 2024, three prisons in Chile have taken the lead in using a new signal jammer system to block mobile phone signals in prison facilities. This measure will be extended to 14 prisons across the country in 2024, including cities such as Santiago, Arica, Copiapo, Valparaiso, Temuco, Valdivia and Puerto Montt.

　　In the last inspection before the implementation of the new signal jamming system, Santiago No. 1 Prison in Chile seized more than 300 illegal mobile phones.

New signal blocker technology draws on international experience

　　Thierry de Saint-Pierre, a digital transformation expert at the University of Saint Sebastian, pointed out that some efficient prisons in the UK and the US have adopted similar technologies and have been successful in promoting security facilities in the US, Brazil, Mexico and other countries.

　　Chile has previously tried using frequency suppression technology, but the results were not ideal. The introduction of new signal blocker technology is an important step in addressing the problem of cell phone smuggling in prisons.

Challenges of signal blocking in Chilean prisons

　　There are some challenges in applying these technologies in Chilean prisons. The signal blocking system in the past not only blocked the communications of prisoners, but also affected the signal reception of prison personnel and nearby residents. This caused some problems, especially in the issue of signal interception in neighboring communities, which received complaints and concerns from residents.

Advantages of the new cell phone jammer system

1. High accuracy and security of the new system This system can identify and block specific illegal signals without affecting legally used devices.
Multiple strategically located antennas can accurately control the range of signal blocking.
The new technology is also equipped with a computer system that can scan areas within the prison and identify illegal mobile phone signals, allowing prison gendarmes to update and manage signal blocking in real time.

2. Less impact on residents

  • In order to reduce the impact on nearby residents, the new system is designed to take into account the directionality of signal blocking. If the antenna direction is set properly, the impact of the shielding signal will be limited to the prison and will not affect the surrounding community.
  • This technology can block all 5G and below Internet signals and telephone signals, but will not interfere with the daily communications of legitimate users.

　　This new signal shielding technology represents one of the most advanced signal shielding technologies in the world. Through precise signal shielding and real-time monitoring of illegal mobile phone signals, the security management of Chilean prisons has been further improved.