Allows 400 guests to connect simultaneously

An advanced communication system in Dubai prisons

The first Dubai prison in the region to implement the new system.

Photography: Chandra Balan

Dubai Police intends to implement a modern communication system for phone service inside penal institutions to serve inmates in cooperation with the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation, according to the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, who indicated that the system is the first of its kind in the region.

Al-Mazaina said that the system represents a qualitative leap in the field of communication within the penal institutions, as it allows inmates to communicate daily with the outside through the phone without crowding or delaying.

He added that the old means of communication inside prisons depended on the traditional cabins scattered inside the penal institutions, and inmates used them with cards according to the prepaid call system.

Al Mazeina indicated that the Dubai Police recently worked to survey the opinions of inmates in the communications system, and monitored several complaints from inmates about the delay in communication or their inability to communicate with their families in other countries.

He explained that complaints and observations were counted, and Dubai Police worked in coordination with the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation to implement the best system used within European prisons.

He pointed out that the new system allows more than 400 inmates to make calls at the same time, in addition to the recent extensions that the "Communication Corporation" intends to install, allowing this number to be doubled according to the communication rates.

Al Muzainah stressed that the Dubai Police bore the high cost of implementing the new system, taking into account the humanitarian and social aspects of the inmates, given that many of them need to communicate with the courts, prosecutions and their lawyers to follow up on their cases, which requires the provision of a modern communication system that enables them to make calls in a timely manner.

Al Muzaina stated that the service solves many problems, such as time differences between countries, as it relies on smart technology that shows the user these differences, and there is a text message notification system that is applied in about 10 European prisons, and the punitive institutions in Dubai Police are the first to implement it outside countries Europe.

He stated that according to the memorandum of agreement signed by Dubai Police yesterday with the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation, the Corporation will supply, install and deliver services for devices and programs of telephone solutions for prison inmates, while providing maintenance and support services.

He pointed out that a team from both sides will determine the needs of cables, internal extensions and telephone points in the appropriate places, while Etisalat will bear the cost of extending the cables inside the prison buildings to connect the new phone points.

Al Muzaina explained that the Telecommunications Corporation will train the police team on how to deal with the operating system, so that the team will be able to manage the modern system and develop solutions to it in the event of any problems. Five years to provide mobile phone services to penitentiary inmates.

Al Muzaina revealed that Dubai Police implements a package of technical services for inmates of penal institutions, such as the Internet service that has been published in all libraries attached to prison wards, to allow inmates wishing to educate themselves and follow what is happening in the world.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news