Govt restores internet services in Kashmir, but only at essential establishments
Srinagar: After a gap of 5 months, the Jammu & Kashmir government on Wednesday partially restored internet service in the Kashmir Valley. The order comes days after the Supreme Court’s harsh observations on the JK administration for snapping Internet services.
According to the order issued by the home Department of J&K government, broadband internet facility has been allowed in hotels, travel establishments and hospitals but only on white-listed websites. Low-speed internet has also been restored in Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Reasi districts of Jammu region. Social networking sites, however, will remain under complete restriction, the government order said.
Internet Restoration in J&K ordered by J&K Home Department. pic.twitter.com/cRG1n2Zvcl
— DIPR-J&K (@diprjk) January 14, 2020
In a three-page order issued last night, the home department of J&K said additional 400 internet kiosks will be established in Kashmir division. Internet service providers will offer broadband facility (with Mac binding) to all institutions dealing with essential services, hospitals, banks, government offices and in order to facilitate tourism, to hotels and tour and travel establishments. Mac Binding means to enforce a client machine to work from a particular Internet Protocol address. The government order also said that the 2G mobile connectivity on post-paid mobiles for accessing white-listed websites including e-banking will be allowed in districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi — all in the Jammu region.
Meanwhile, the order also cautioned that, the government departments and institutions that are being provided internet services will be responsible to prevent any misuse.
