CellBlox Managed Access Pilot In Georgia Prison System

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CellBlox, Inc., the provider of the CellBlox secure Managed Access System (MAS) for prisons, recently implemented a pilot of their cell phone interdiction product for the State of Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC). During the month of April, CellBlox conducted acceptance testing with GDC on the CellBlox MAS installed at a maximum security facility in GA, and initial response of the pilot and product performance have been positive.

The initial pilot was to provide cellular managed access at a facility that would disallow call completion of targeted contraband cellular phones, while allowing completion of appropriate calls based on prison policy. The CellBlox Managed Access System incorporates a comprehensive, policy-based management system that offers the authorities many options within the managed environment that they can implement within the confines of the law.

"Our requirements for how we could address the issue of contraband cellular phones in our prison system continued to evolve as our understanding of the problem and the dynamic nature of the cellular technology unfolded," declared Mr. Brian Owens, Commissioner State of Georgia Department of Corrections. "Fortunately, the pilot with CellBlox allowed us to research, educate and then implement a leading edge solution that meets our needs today and will continue to evolve with us as technology changes."

The CellBlox system is currently operational in one facility. The pilot includes installation at two additional facilities within the next 60 days. Based on the success of the first installation, we anticipate the CellBlox solution can significantly reduce the use of contraband cellphones and thereby the associated illegal activities. Also, due to the sophistication of the system, it is difficult for callers to discern whether the networks are down, or if the call was blocked or if the call was knowingly allowed.

"There is not a one-time fix for this problem. The carrier networks continue to evolve providing new means of transmission for their customers. Unfortunately, this also enhances the prison contraband users' ability to communicate illegally. CellBlox must constantly enhance its system to meet these challenges," shared D. Edward LaChance, CellBlox CEO. "GDC has worked diligently with CellBlox as our system detects new carrier protocols and transmissions, and we develop the proper technology to provide comprehensive managed access. The good news is that CellBlox automatically scans for new protocols and services and CellBlox can remotely configure and support many of the changes." Unlike other technology providers in this space, CellBlox provides a total system solution that includes a complete understanding of spectrum management from its sophisticated distributed antenna system (DAS) to the proprietary policy based management operating system included in the CellBlox MAS.

About CellBlox, Inc. CellBlox, Inc. is headquartered in Huntsville, AL and is an emerging industry leading provider of a superior Managed Access System (MAS) product. The CellBlox MAS leverages existing managed access technology which has been used in International markets for the last 15 years combined with CellBlox state of the art DAS, proprietary scanning and policy engine and CellBlox integrated operating system provides unsurpassed flexibility, scalability and responsiveness through dynamic configuration and remote management.  CellBlox is unmatched in its ability to meet the demands of the cellular managed access market.  The initial target market for CellBlox is unauthorized use of cellular phones in secured facilities.  The CellBlox team is working with federal and state authorities to refine and deploy the revolutionary CellBlox product. CellBlox has offices in Huntsville, AL; Cambridge, MA; Atlanta, GA; and Washington D.C.

About State of Georgia Department of Corrections: The GDC has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 55,000 state prisoners and more than 160,000 probationers. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 12,000 employees.

SOURCE CellBlox, Inc.