After social media, authorities restore broadband services in Jammu and Kashmir

A day after ban on social media sites was revoked temporarily, Jammu and Kashmir administration Thursday restored broadband services in the Valley seven months after the Center stripped the region of its statehood and special status under Article 370.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) BSNL, Masood Bala said the broadband internet service has been restored across the Valley with authorities deciding not to charge consumers for the suspended period.

“The charges for the suspension period to the consumers have been waived off and the services have been restored,” he said.

Authorities had suspended internet services in Jammu and Kashmir as part of Centre’s communication blockade imposed on Kashmir hours before the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. The government had also suspended telephone services both landline and mobile for weeks after August 5.

The suspension of fixed lines numbering around 45000 in Jammu and Kashmir and over 60 lakh mobiles had literally cut Jammu and Kashmir from the outside world. Landlines and mobile phone services on post-paid numbers were restored gradually after September 2019.

Amid outcry by people and criticism at national and international level, the authorities restored 2G mobile internet in January but allowed access to only a few hundred ‘whitelisted’ sites with Supreme Court ruling that access to the internet was part of the freedom of speech.

However, the restoration of 2G mobile internet proved a sham due to extremely poor connectivity. That led to the use of VPNs by most mobile users in Kashmir. The police then cautioned mobile users not to misuse the VPNs to spread propaganda.

The BSNL and private services providers installed firewalls to fail the VPNs. The BSNL hired a US IT Company to install firewalls to deny access to the sites that didn’t fall under whitelisted sites. The authorities also issued a statement saying it was ready to restore the broadband connection of any person who was ready to sign a bond and comply with the conditions listed in the bond. The government also restored broadband connectivity to hospitals across Kashmir.

Many businessmen, hoteliers, private schools were provided internet connections after they agreed to the government conditions. The suspension of the internet not only choked Kashmir’s economy but also caused a humanitarian crisis as people couldn’t connect with their loved ones outside the erstwhile state for weeks.