Camera: Muneeb-ul-Islam
Video Editor: Rahul Sanpui
It was back in January this year that the Indian government restored 2G internet connectivity in Kashmir after almost 145 days of an internet blackout.
Without internet access, the demand for smartphones also dipped which left a lot of smartphone retailers in the area perturbed.
The Quint reached out to multi-brand smartphone sellers in areas like Srinagar and Anantnag to find out how the internet shutdown has affected their businesses.
Internet to a smartphone today is like air to humans. You can’t live without it. Imagine owning a smartphone that has no access to the internet. If you think of alternate uses for a smartphone I am sure your list is going to be a short one.
Retailers The Quint spoke with complained about the situation and how the internet shutdown affected smartphone sales. They said that without the internet there was no need for one to own a smartphone which led to a steep dip in the overall sales.
Subsequently, the sale of feature phones has been on the higher side considering they don’t use the internet and offer basic functionalities. This shutdown has practically pushed the people back to the “stone age” according to one of the retailers.
The Quint reached out to top-selling smartphone companies like Xiaomi and Samsung on how much their sales have dropped and whether there has been a drop in the supply of smartphones in the area. Both didn’t wish to comment on this.
Some of the retailers still have faith that the resumption of 4G services will help boost the sale of smartphones while on the other hand there are some who think that recovery will take a substantial amount of time.
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