NEWS Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D. C. 20554 This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974). News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS CONTACT: September 1, 2009 Bruce Romano, 202-418-2124 Email: Bruce.Romano@fcc.gov OFFICE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY GRANTS EXPERIMENTAL LICENSE FOR DEMONSTRATION OF CELLPHONE MANAGED ACCESS TECHNOLOGY AT MARYLAND CORRECTIONAL FACILITY Today, the Office of Engineering and Technology granted a two-day experimental license to Tecore Networks. This license will allow Tecore to participate in a demonstration organized by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to understand alternatives to call-jamming that may be used to manage the use of cell phones in prisons. The Tecore system is designed to terminate unauthorized cell phone calls made from within a prison, while allowing authorized cell phone calls--including all calls to 911--to be connected through the wireless carrier as usual. In contrast to previous proposals for testing cell-jamming technologies,1 Tecore has worked with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to establish test conditions that ensure against any interference or disruption of cell phone calls that are not part of the demonstration. Access to the test area at the prison will be controlled, and Tecore has submitted a letter signed by all of the affected wireless carriers consenting to the test. The demonstration will be conducted on September 3, 2009 at the State Correctional Facility in Jessup, Maryland In addition to the demonstration of the Tecore technology, several vendors plan to demonstrate technologies that are designed to passively locate cell phones. Questions should be directed to Bruce Romano, Associate Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, tel. 202 418 2124, e-mail Bruce.Romano@fcc.gov. 1 See letter from James D. Schlichting to Mr. Devon Brown, February 18, 2009 (DA 09-354), available at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-354A1.pdf.