After being suspended for close to two years (18 months of shutdown), 4G internet services will finally be restored in the entire Jammu and Kashmir.
The 4G internet services were shut down in the UT after the Centre abrogated the erstwhile state’s special status under Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
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”.
In a tweet, J&K administration principal secretary Rohit Kansal announced that 4G mobile internet services are being restored in the entire J&K.
The services, according to sources, are meant to resume from Friday midnight. Sources said that a high-level committee headed by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla recently took the decision to restore services in Jammu and Kashmir based on reports by security agencies that restoration of 4G mobile internet services was not likely to cause any major security problem in the UT.
“A meeting was held this morning by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, where the go-ahead was given for restoration of 4G services based on the recommendation of the local administration and security agencies,” a government official said.
However, prepaid SIM cardholders shall be provided access to the internet connectivity only after verification as per norms applicable for post-paid connections, an official notification stated
“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 cardholders shall be provided access to the internet connectivity only after verification as per norms applicable for post-paid connections,” the official notification read.
Former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah reacted to the news of resumption of 4G internet in the union territory and said, “4G Mubarak! For the first time since Aug 2019 all of J&K will have 4G mobile data. Better late than never.”
Internet services were snapped in Jammu and Kashmir before the Centre announced the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution on August 5, 2019. The abrogation of Article 370 stripped J&K of its special status, splitting it into two Union Territories – J&K and Ladakh.
The government had cited separatists and Pakistan-based terrorism as the reasons to restrict high-speed internet in Jammu and Kashmir.
In August last year, Central government had told the Supreme Court that a special committee looking into the issue of internet restoration in Jammu and Kashmir was considering allowing 4G internet access on a trial basis in the Union Territory.
Centre had said that 4G access will be given in one district of Jammu region and one in Kashmir. Following this, 4G internet services were restored in Ganderbal and Udhampur district from August 16. In rest of the J&K districts, internet speed continued to be restricted to 2G.
Internet services had been suspended on ground of anticipated law and order situations as a result of the decisions, and intelligence inputs about possible attacks by terrorists infiltrating from across the border.
However, the government took the decision last year to restore the internet in a phased manner, first in broadband services, and then by lifting the restrictions on 4G mobile Internet services in Ganderbal and Udhampur. Elsewhere in the UT, people had only 2G Internet services on mobile.
Sources said that the decision to restore services has taken into account the experience in Ganderbal and Udhampur.
“No major incident of terror or law and order has taken place in the five months since the restoration of the Internet in these districts. The whole idea of the trial run was this,” another government official said.
On Tuesday, the government told Parliament that terrorist attacks in the Valley had more than halved in 2020 compared to 2019. The number of terrorists killed by security forces in Kashmir went up by 41% in this period.
Responding to a question on the security situation in Kashmir, Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy told Lok Sabha there were 244 terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2020, with 37 civilian and 62 security-personnel casualties. In 2019, there were 592 terror incidents, and 37 civilian and 80 security-personnel casualties. In 2018, these figures were 614, 39, and 91 respectively.
“Even though there have been reports of locals joining militancy, both terror incidents and casualty of security personnel is consistently dwindling. It is a good time to restore the Internet and give the people a sense of normalcy,” the official said.
Some observers noted that the move actually comes after the reaction from the US embassy which highlighted the importance of free speech and access to internet as being basic components of human rights, that has probably shaken the authority out of apathy.
A security establishment officer from Jammu and Kashmir said that the local administration had been pushing for restoration of mobile Internet services for months, but things had not moved because of reservations in Delhi.
“The security agencies have been saying since last year that the situation is under control and mobile Internet can be restored across the Union Territory, but the Ministry of Home Affairs did not give the go-ahead. It is good that it has relented now. Restoration of services will make life easier for the people, and will also be a good confidence-building step,” the officer said.
