Bangalore residents protested collectively because jail jammers affected communications
Recently, residents near the Parappana Agrahara jail in southeast Bangalore protested collectively because the jammers installed by the jail affected their daily lives. On Saturday, dozens of angry residents gathered around the jail, demanding the removal or adjustment of the prison cellphone jammers to restore normal network communication services. The protest attracted a lot of attention. The protesters included entrepreneurs, technicians and members of several residents' associations, who said that the cellphone signal jammers not only weakened mobile phone signals, but also blocked text messages, calls and data services.
The wide coverage of jail blocker jammers affects surrounding communities
In order to prevent prisoners from using illegal mobile phones, the Parappana Agrahara jail installed the "Tower-Harmonious Call Blocking System" (T-HCBS) jammer in January this year. However, the jammer's coverage was far beyond expectations, seriously disrupting normal communications in the community around the prison. According to residents living in nearby Hossa Road, the cell phone jammer was supposed to cover signals only within 100 meters of the prison, but in fact, 700 meters or even further away were also interfered, affecting thousands of residents including high-rise apartments.
A technician named Nithyanandan on Hossa Road said that residents living within 500 to 700 meters also suffered serious signal problems. He pointed out that this not only affected people's daily phone use, but also made it impossible to contact family members in emergencies, especially children returning home from school. He added: "We initially thought it was a problem with the communication service provider, but after investigation, we found that the root cause was the prison's jammer device."
Network interruption affects life and business activities
- Residents generally reported that the presence of the prison jammer prevented them from receiving OTP (one-time password) in emergencies, which caused trouble for financial transactions that required online verification.
- Take-out, online shopping and other online delivery services were also frequently delayed due to unstable networks. In this regard, protesters said that the interference of the jail signal jammer not only affected personal communications, but also caused losses to the operations of surrounding small businesses.
- "We rely on the internet for business management and communication, and now this interference makes daily work difficult," said a business owner who participated in the protest. Residents believe that although the prison installed phone blockers to prevent prisoners from using mobile phones for illegal activities, the relevant departments lacked consideration for the surrounding communities during implementation.
Response of the authorities and residents' demands
Despite the continuous dissatisfaction expressed by residents, officials from the prison and correctional services department refused to comment on the incident. Residents hope that the government and relevant departments can take quick action to adjust the signal coverage of the jammer blockers to reduce the negative impact on the community. A local resident said: "We understand that the prison has to maintain internal security, but this should not be at the expense of the daily lives of surrounding residents."
At the same time, technical experts suggested that the impact on surrounding residential areas could be reduced by adjusting the signal strength of the jammer devices or installing directional antennas. Balancing the communication needs of the community while ensuring the safety of the prison is a top priority. Protesters warned that if the problem continues to be unresolved, they will take further legal action.
