Upgraded high-frequency jammers installed at Karnataka’s central prisons are causing major disruptions to mobile and internet connectivity in nearby villages, leaving residents effectively disconnected from essential services. Areas within a 2–3 km radius of prisons in Kalaburagi, Mangaluru, Ballari, Belagavi, and Bengaluru are the worst affected, following a transition from outdated 2G jammers to stronger 5G devices aimed at preventing inmates from using phones illegally.

Locals say daily life has come to a standstill. From failed UPI transactions to students missing online classes and ration shops struggling to verify beneficiaries’ biometrics, the disruptions have hit hard. Even welfare schemes like MGNREGS are stalled, as officials can’t verify GPS-based data due to the internet blackouts.

Residents of villages near Kalaburagi Central Jail—Panegaon, Setanur, Nandikur, and Kotnur Udanur—are especially affected. Former Nandikur Gram Panchayat president Pavankumar Valkeri demanded the jammer range be limited to within 100–200 metres of prison walls, warning of protests if the issue isn’t addressed.

In Belagavi, Hindalga panchayat member D.B. Patil and locals say they’ve already protested as their education and businesses suffer. Similar complaints echo from Mangaluru, where Seva Kendra owner Ramesh Hedge reported severe business losses due to internet disruption near the Central Jail.

Prisons DGP Malini Krishnamurthy acknowledged the problem, stating that the jammers were upgraded due to failure of old equipment. Installation, she said, is still ongoing and TCIL—the central agency in charge—has been instructed to recalibrate the devices to reduce public impact.