SMS, voice calls restored for local prepaid mobiles in J&K; 2G internet resumes on postpaid in Kupwara, Bandipora districts

Voice and SMS facilities were restored for all local prepaid mobile connections across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir while 2G internet services were resumed on postpaid mobile connections in two districts of the Valley after being disconnected in August last year, an official said. Rohit Kansal, the principal secretary to the administration of Jammu and Kashmir said the order will come into effect from Saturday. “After a careful review, the competent authority has ordered today that voice and SMS facilities shall be restored on all local prepaid sim cards across Jammu and Kashmir,” Kansal told ANI. He also said that 2G mobile data on postpaid mobile for accessing whitelisted websites shall be allowed in all 10 districts of Jammu, and Kupwara and Bandipora districts of Kashmir division. “Mobile internet shall remain suspended in Budgam, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Srinagar, Kulgam, Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama,” he added. In order to consider giving mobile Internet connectivity on postpaid SIM cards, the telecom service providers will have to verify the credentials of the subscribers, the principal secretary said, according to PTI. Internet service providers have been asked to provide fixed-line Internet connectivity in all the 10 districts of Jammu region and two districts, Kupwara and Bandipora, in North Kashmir. Telecom services were shut in the entire Jammu and Kashmir on 5 August when the Centre abrogated special status to the erstwhile state and also bifurcated it into two Union Territories. However, the Supreme Court came down heavily on the UT administration last week for arbitrarily shutting down the Internet, the facility described as the fundamental right by the apex court. With inputs from agencies