Authorities at the Mangaluru district prison have reportedly tackled nearly 80% of network disturbances triggered by upgraded signal jammers. Jail superintendent B. Suresh revealed that a decade ago, BEL had installed 3G signal blockers at the facility. Recently, these were enhanced to obstruct 4G and 5G signals, preventing unauthorized mobile usage inside the jail. The modernization project, managed by Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL), a government enterprise, commenced around two weeks ago.

Following complaints from the public about severe connectivity problems, a specialized technical team led by senior technologist Amit Kumar and technician Surendra inspected the site on Tuesday. The team conducted a detailed assessment on Wednesday and presented its findings to prison officials. Their analysis showed that BSNL, Airtel, and Vodafone networks were accessible outside the jail, but Jio users continued to face difficulties, likely due to high traffic. “Around 80% of the issue has been resolved. The team will report to the Delhi headquarters, and we are optimistic about fixing the remaining concerns soon,” assured superintendent Suresh.

Additionally, the report has been sent to the director general of prisons and correctional services, awaiting further action. It is worth noting that local residents and office employees near the Kodialbail prison experienced frequent network disruptions due to the upgraded high-frequency jammers. The interference has led to call drops, message delays, and weak internet signals, hampering both personal and work-related communications.