Govt may restore 4G internet services in more districts’, Decision after assessing situation, say officials
Srinagar, Jan 27 : Based on a considered and wide-ranging assessment of the prevailing situation, the government may restore 4G Internet services in more districts in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, KINS has learnt.
Highly placed sources told news agency KINS that the review by top authorities will be carried out and if there is an improvement in the security situation appropriate action will be taken accordingly.
“We are assessing the situation. We may open it (4G) in more districts as and when we deem it appropriate, given the level of peace we have in the province,” said a top source in the administration wishing not to be named.
One of the top officials said that as a measure of precaution, they are not opening 4G services even when they were aware that there is already peace in most of the districts.
Since the ban on 4G, the government has been maintaining that these security measures such as the internet ban were necessary to better integrate the region with India, foster greater economic development and stop threats from “anti-national elements”.
Interestingly Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, recently had gave hints on restoration of high speed 4G internet services in the remaining eighteen districts of the Union Territory (UT) soon.
“I know 4G is working in just two districts of J&K. There is a committee examining the issue.
Hopefully, there will be good news soon in the coming days,” he had said while replying a question at a press conference in winter capital Jammu.
Last week, the Private Schools Association of Jammu and Kashmir representing 3,800 institutions, filed a fresh affidavit seeking the ease of restrictions on the internet. It said that children in J&K were losing academic years because it’s impossible to conduct online classes using video-conferencing tools such as Zoom or WebEx at 2G mobile Internet speed.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration recently extended the suspension of internet till February 6, saying the services will continue to be restricted to 2G. The ban was extended to all districts except Ganderbal and Udhampur districts.
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