FCC Caps Prison Phone Call Rates, Ending Decades of High Fees

New rules lower costs for both interstate and intrastate calls, impacting 1.4 million incarcerated people and saving families $500 million annually.

The FCC's vote reduces the cost of a 15-minute phone call from up to $12.10 to as low as 90 cents.
For the first time, the FCC sets price caps on intrastate calls and video calls.
The new rules eliminate ancillary fees and prohibit site commissions, reducing overall costs.
The changes are expected to take effect in January 2025 for larger facilities and in April 2025 for smaller ones.
The reforms follow the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, signed into law in January 2023.