Jammu (NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir government today said that 4G mobile internet services are being restored in the entire Union Territory, after being suspended for close to two years.
“4G mobile internet services being restored in entire J&K,” said J&K govt spokesperson Rohit Kansal in a tweet.
4G mobile internet services being restored in entire J&K @diprjk
— Rohit Kansal (@kansalrohit69) February 5, 2021
The high-speed internet services are expected to resume from Friday midnight.
The services are being restored exactly 18 months after it was suspended in August 2019 when the Centre abrogated Article 370 that gave a special status to the erstwhile state of J&K and bifurcated it into two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The internet services were suspended in J&K on August 4, 2019, a day before the Centre’s announcement to strip the erstwhile state of its special status. Although 2G services were restored in some places in J&K, high-speed services were not restored.
“Keeping in view the advice of the Special Committee and upon careful review of the overall security scenario, I, Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department [Competent Authority under sub-rule (1) of Rule 2 of the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017, hereby revoke the restrictions on mobile data services and fixed line internet connectivity placed vide Government Order No. Home-02 (TSTS) of 2021 dated 22.01.2021, except to the extent that the prepaid SIM card holders shall be provided access to the internet connectivity only after verification as per norms applicable for post-paid connections,” read an official notification signed by Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary to the J&K Government.
Pertinent to mention here that the 4G mobile internet services were available in only two of the 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir until now. Services were restored in Udhampur in Jammu and Ganderbal in Kashmir on August 16 last year on a “trial basis”.
The Central Government had suspended internet in J&K in view of the law and order situation and particularly intel inputs regarding attempts by Pakistani terrorists to disrupt peace in the Valley.
In August last year, the Centre had told Supreme Court that a special committee looking into the issue of internet restoration in J&K was considering allowing 4G internet access on a trial basis in the UT.
The Government had said that 4G access will be given in one district of the Jammu region and one in Kashmir after which 4G internet services were restored in Ganderbal and Udhampur district from August 16, 2020. In the rest of the districts, internet speed was restricted to only 2G.
-ARK
