Indian Express
The Jammu and Kashmir administration Friday issued orders instructing the reinitiating of broadband and data services for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir starting Saturday. However, restrictions on social media will continue at least until January 31.
This marks the restoration of internet services in Kashmir after nearly six months since the abrogation of Article 370. Broadband services to essential services were restored on January 15. Additionally, restricted data access was restored in the two North Kashmir districts of Kupwara and Baramulla. With Friday’s order, this has been extended throughout the Valley.
A home department order issued late Friday stated, “Access shall be limited to whitelisted sites and not to any social media applications allowing peer to peer communication and Virtual Private Network Application.” The order also states that data services shall be available on post-paid mobiles and on pre-paid mobile SIM cards “of such holders whose credentials have been verified as per the norms applicable for the post-paid connections.”
Network speed will be restricted to 2G. These restrictions will be reviewed post January 31.
In case of fixed line connectivity as well, only the 301 whitelisted sites, the list of which has been expanded to include news websites, will be restored on January 25.
Until now, the whitelist included 153 websites comprising four emailing sites such as gmail and outlook, 15 banking websites including RBI, J&K Bank, PayPal and Western Union; three employment websites, 38 educational websites including indiaresults, IGNOU and websites for five J&K based universities, three schools and Wikipedia.
Mobile internet and broadband services have been suspended in the Valley since the revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Post paid mobile phones became operational after 70 days of the initial clampdown on all communication that began on August 5.
SMS services were started for Kashmir on January 1 this year and on January 15, the J&K government spokesperson Rohit Kansal announced restoration of broadband for essential services in Kashmir, including banks, hospitals barring social media.
On January 10, calling for a review of the continued internet shutdown in the Valley, the Supreme Court had stated that “freedom of speech and expression through the Internet is an integral part of Article 19(1)(a) and any restriction on it must be in compliance with Article 19(2) of the Constitution.”
Source Of News
Indian Express
إرسال تعليق