Prison Phone Rates Set for Drastic Reduction Under New FCC Rules

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed new rules to reduce phone and video call rates for incarcerated people, a move that could dramatically reshape the business of prison telecom providers such as ViaPath Technologies and Aventiv Technologies.

The proposed rules call for a drastic reduction in the cost of audio calls, impose brand-new caps on video services and prohibit providers from making commission payments to the jails and prisons in which they operate, according to a document posted on the agency’s website on Thursday.

The FCC action came as ViaPath was preparing to wrap up a crucial $1.4 billion ...