Cellular companies don’t want jail jammers

Cellular service companies sought help of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) for removal of three jammers installed at the Central Jail Kot Lakhpat with cost of Rs 2 million around one and a half month ago in order to curb mobile phone use inside jail premises, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Jammers installed at the Kot Lakhpat Jail for jamming cellular services are disturbing services at adjoining areas located in radius of 6 to 17 kilometres. According to details, the Punjab Prisons Department, with permission of high-ups, for the first time used modernised technology to stop and curb use of mobile phones inside jails. In this regard for the first time, as a test case, the prisons department installed three jammers inside the Central Jail Kot Lakhpat around one and a half months ago with help of a British company.
But the jammers installed at the Central Jail Kot Lakhpat became a permanent headache for people residing in its adjoining areas, as the jammers were disturbing cellular services in all localities nearby.
Local residents of adjoining localities complained to cellular service companies in this regard. Due to regular complaints, all cellular service companies conducted their own researches and came up with a common finding that the basic reason behind the problem was jammers installed at the Central Jail Kot Lakhpat.
After concluding, the cellular companies also requested the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) to conduct a survey in this regard. FAB’s survey also confirmed the research of cellular services companies after which in a recent development, all cellular service companies wrote a letter to the PTA chairman.
The companies, in the letter, stated that since May 29, all mobile operators are experiencing very severe external interference in their respective spectrums at Lahore. Malik Mushtaq Awan, superintendent Central Jail Kot Lakhpat, said that jammers were covering only 50 percent area of the jail. He said that they got jammers installed only near barracks of terrorists and hardened criminals detained in the jail and prisoners involved in sectarian violence.