After 18 months, high-speed 4G internet services were restored in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday giving relief to all residents. Spokesperson of J&K administration Rohit Kansal announced that internet services would be restored in the region. “4G mobile internet services being restored in entire J&K,” he said in a tweet.
Soon after Kansal’s tweet, the Principal Secretary to the Home Department issued a formal order.
The announcement brought a lot of reaction from across the country. Former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said ‘better late than never’. “4G Mubarak! For the first time since Aug 2019, all of J&K will have 4G mobile data. Better late than never,” Abdullah tweeted.
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee had an interesting take on 4G restoration in J&K. “For one and a half years, Indians have been demanding restoration of 4G internet in Jammu and Kashmir. But Govt took no action. After just one day of international headlines on how the internet is being restricted, human rights violated, Govt has now decided to restore the 4G,” he tweeted.
While some were celebrating the restoration of internet services, others said that the Centre restoring internet ‘is not a favour’ and ‘dignity is yet to be restored’.
Some tweets suggested that maybe pop singer Rihanna’s tweet on farmers' issue may have promoted the central government to restore internet in J&K.
On August 5 2019, the Indian government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. After the abrogation of Article 370, 4G internet services were suspended in the former Indian state now Union Territory. Initially, the government placed a ban on internet usage due to security concerns. The Centre restored internet to 2G speed. Jammu and Kashmir were bifurcated into two union territories. Jammu and Kashmir became one UT and Ladakh was established as a UT.
