Prison phone jamming 'challenging': ACMA

The practice of jamming mobile phone use at Goulburn jail could stop prisoners using contraband phones, but it could also stop legitimate phone users calling emergency services, experts have warned.

Corrective Services NSW wants to install jammers at Goulburn Correctional Complex as part of a two-year trial, following the success of a trial at Lithgow prison.

Since 2013 jammers had been found to be effective in blocking attempted use of phones by inmates without interfering with access to phone networks beyond the Lithgow jail, leading to an extension of the trial to 2018.

But the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) says, by comparison, Goulburn's proximity to roads, businesses and homes poses additional challenges.

"Mobile phone jammers carry the risk of potentially disrupting legitimate mobile phone usage by members of the community beyond the perimeter of a facility," a consultation report says.

"The potential impact of mobile phone jammers on calls made to emergency services is a particular concern."

ACMA is expected to authorise the two-year trial to allow for closer examination of the risks after considering feedback on its report.