India will restore 4G in Kashmir in a ‘phased’ manner — starting with two districts

India’s ready to restore 4G in Kashmir after prolonged periods of internet shutdowns and 2G connectivity. However, the government will allow 4G connectivity in just two districts, and that too on a trial basis.

In a hearing at India’s apex court, Attorney General KK Venugopal, said that the government is ready to restore 4G in one district each in Jammu and Kashmir after August 15 (both are regions within one state Jammu & Kashmir). The authorities will observe the situation for two months and then submit a report to decide the next steps. 

Just to recall, the government ordered an internet shutdown on August 5 last year, after it scrapped Article 370 of the constitution to remove the autonomy of Kashmir. It wasn’t until January when partial connectivity was restored. Later, in March, the government lifted site restrictions, but imposed 2G connectivity limitation for mobile internet.

Venugopal also said that the situation in the region is “still not conducive” for the restoration of 4G. So the government is going ahead with that in a phased manner. He added that areas, where 4G connectivity is to be restored, should have “a low threshold for terrorist activities.”

Several people have suffered because of internet shutdowns and low connectivity speed in the region. Students have struggled to keep up with their studies and businesses relying on the internet have had to downsize massively. It’s clear that a large amount of population in the region might not still get 4G for months.