4G internet services being restored in J&K: UT admn

J&K government spokesperson Rohit Kansal made the announcement

SRINAGAR: J&K government spokesperson Rohit Kansal on Friday said that high-speed mobile internet was being restored across Jammu and Kashmir.

In a tweet Rohit Kansal, who is principal secretary power development department (PDD) and spokesperson of the J&K government said, “4G mobile internet services being restored in entire J&K.”

Clamour for the restoration of high-speed internet had been growing louder in J&K. Apart from the BJP leadership, Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah had also demanded restoration of 4G internet in the state. Bukhari, who had recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi had demanded restoration of high speed internet in J&K. Recently, in a Unified Command Headquarters meeting in Jammu, the government decided to restore 4G in J&K.

“4G Mubarak! For the first time since Aug 2019 all of J&K will have 4G mobile data. Better late than never,” tweeted NC vice-president and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah.

Earlier, in August 2020, highspeed internet had been restored in two districts of Jammu and Kashmir, over a year after it was snapped by the government. Mobile phone, landline and internet services were disconnected in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 4, a day before the Centre withdrew its special status and divided it into two union territories .

High-speed internet was restored in Ganderbal and Udhampur districts based on the parameters laid down by a special committee constituted by the Supreme Court on May 11, 2020. The two districts had been identified on the basis of inputs from law enforcement agencies in context of the parameters laid down by the special committee for considering calibrated easing of restrictions in limited and comparatively less sensitive geographical areas.

The Centre on August 11, 2020 had informed the Supreme Court that it will lift restrictions on high-speed 4G mobile internet services in one district each of Jammu and Kashmir divisions after August 15 on a trial basis. The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by Foundation for Media Professionals, an NGO, in June seeking the initiation of contempt proceedings against the Centre and J&K administration for failure to comply with the top court’s May 11 directions to review restrictions on mobile internet speed .

The government gradually restored the communication lines.