Mangaluru: The central govt has taken note of the serious issue of mobile signal jammers inside the District Jail in Mangaluru, which has been causing suppression of mobile signals beyond the prison premises, where the use of mobile phones is banned.In a communication to the DIG prisons, Karnataka, the department of telecommunications under the Union ministry of communication directed the prison authorities to reassess the technical parameters of the jammers installed inside the jail in Mangaluru city. They are also asked to ensure that the public is not inconvenienced due to the signal jammers.The ministry noted that all mobile networks and Wi-Fi bands were found to be highly suppressed with jammer signal strength of approximately 70 dBm. Further, suppression of IMT bands and Wi-Fi bands was detected from the prison entrance up to nearly 900 m, with jammer signal strength around 80 dBm. Even beyond 900m and up to 2.5 km, jammer signals were still detectable, though weak, at about 100 dBm, the ministry noted.Further, it directed the prison authorities that the technical parameters of the jammers be reassessed. “It may also be ensured that the jammer signal range remains strictly confined within the jail premises so that the signals do not affect the telecom services provided to the public in the surrounding areas of the District Prison, Mangaluru,” the ministry directed.Superintendent of the District Prison, Sharanabasappa, said that communications have already been made with the companies asking them to limit the jammer strength to the premises of the jail only.In fact, the DIG, prisons and correctional services, KC Divyashree, sent a letter to the chief general manager, Telecommunications Consultants India Limited, seeking rectification of the issues being faced by the general public surrounding the District Prison. In a letter sent on Wednesday, the DIG directed the agency to take needful actions immediately to rectify mobile networks (voice calls & internet) found in many places inside the District Prison, and the network issues faced by the public surrounding the prison. The officer also directed that a compliance report be submitted to the jail superintendent.
