Jammu and Kashmir residents hail 4G restoration after 18 months

High-speed Internet in Jammu and Kashmir was restored after being suspended for 18 months. The 4G mobile internet services in Jammu and Kashmir were suspended after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories in August 2019.  The Supreme Court-appointed panel had taken the decision on February 4.

The suspension of high-speed Internet was largely affecting businessmen and students of the Union Territory. The COVID-19 pandemic also led to schools being closed and online classes without a good Internet connection was causing a lot of hardships to students.

The residents of the Union Territory hailed the move to restore 4G mobile internet services that they were demanding for months now.

Urwa, a class 12 student said, “We were facing network issues in online classes now we will get benefit by the restoration of 4G, we can study properly”

Another student Adeeba Feroz Shah said, “It’s very beneficial as we were suffering because of the 2G Internet during our online classes. Now classes will go on smoothly, we are very happy.” 

Not only students but the common man of the UT too is welcoming the restoration of 4G Internet. Businessmen, who bore the brunt of bad Internet connection, are finally happy.

Muzaffer Ahmad, a businessman said, “We were bearing losses in business, now this 4G restoration will make things easier.” 

Earlier, 4G internet was restored on a trial basis in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal and Jammu region’s Udhampur on August 16, 2020. But in the other 18 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, 4G Internet remained suspended for security reasons as mentioned by the government. 

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday announced that 4G mobile internet services are being restored in the entire Union Territory, 18 months after it was suspended in August 2019 when the Centre abrogated the special status of the erstwhile state.

In a tweet, Rohit Kansal, J&K administration, principal secretary, announced that 4G mobile internet services are being restored in the entire J&K.

Clampdown on internet services was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir after the Centre's abrogation of provisions of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, when the special status of the erstwhile state was revoked in Parliament and it was bifurcated into union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to explore the possibility of restoring 4G services in certain areas.