Govt Denies Reports on 4G Services Being Restored In Kashmir

4G services were supposedly being restored so that people could stay at home in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Internet services in Jammu & Kashmir had been suspended since 5 August 2019 and 2G services were restored in January 2020. 

(Image: Kamran Akhter/ The Quint)

On Friday, 13 March, there were some media reports saying high-speed 4G internet services would be restored in Kashmir to keep people occupied at home in view of the global pandemic COVID-19.

The reports stated that government spokesperson Rohit Kansal had spoken to Radio Kashmir about restoration of services.

“We thought of imposing curfew, but that won't keep people at home in this part of the world. Best is to give them 4G speed internet,” Kansal reportedly said after a meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor GM Murmu in Jammu.

However, Rohit Kansal, an IAS officer, has denied this statement in a tweet.

Kansal says in his tweet: “Have seen certain reports in social media about internet being attributed to me. This is to clarify that no statement on this issue has been made. Repeat: I have not spoken to anyone on this issue.”

4G mobile internet services have been suspended across J&K since 5 August, 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two union territories.

While most of the services except mobile internet were restored in Jammu within a week, Kashmir witnessed restoration of landlines and postpaid mobile services and internet facilities for essential services like hospitals in phases.

2G internet services were restored in Kashmir on Sunday, 26 January, hours after the Republic Day celebrations.

(With inputs from IANS)