A Review of State Use of Cell Phones, Pagers, and Satellite Phones
June 2008
Members of the General Assembly requested the Legislative Audit Council to conduct an audit of state agencies’ use of cell phones and other wireless communication devices. We reviewed whether agencies had policies and procedures to ensure that cell phones and other devices are used in an efficient manner and reviewed the adequacy of agency internal controls over these devices.
We estimate that during the time of our review state agencies had over 15,000 cell phones, 7,000 pagers, and 170 satellite phones. Approximately 25% of state employees carried state-issued cell phones. Of the 100 agencies we surveyed, 96 reported having issued cell phones and/or pagers to their employees. For equipment and services, we estimate that the state spent over $7 million on cell phones, $790,000 on pagers, and $68,000 on satellite phones in FY 05-06.