Quick question about mobile phone signals

Thought I would put this out there, to any ATS'ers that are clued up, on how mobile phone communications work.

I was just in the middle of a call to my partner, when all of a sudden, her voice became scrambled. When the scrambling stopped, it was no longer my partner on the other end, it was some other woman in mid conversation.

I tried to speak to her, but she was unaware that I could hear her. I could not hear the responses from the person she was speaking to, but I could here some kind of muffled strange responses that were, to me, the other person speaking, but the signal was encoded, if that makes sense.

The call went on the same, until I hung up. So how was this blunder possible ?

I'm aware that the government are able to access people's calls, but am completely shocked at the lack of privacy, if calls are being received by any man and his dog.

What if this happens to a call containing sensitive information ?

I work in the industry and that sounds like a trunk line switch failing, no worries about big brother this time. You know they are able to scan all your text and listen if they want without you knowing, right.

They cell company was probably doing trunk line switch-overs at the switch. It happens once in a blue moon, but it's kind of cool none-the-less.

Well, i was beat to it by the other two posters. That is what happened....a switch malfunction.