J&K still to await restoration of Broadband Services

Suhail Khan

SRINAGAR, Feb 4: The technical teams hired by the government to block access to social media sites have faced complex hitches in the process which has resulted in delay in restoration of Broadband internet services in Kashmir.

Top sources told Kashmir Despatch that restoration of Broadband is likely to take more time as the software experts hired for the purpose to block the access to social networking sites and other applications through use of broadband or using Virtual Private Network (VPN) and other proxies have not achieved any tangible success.

“However, their efforts are on to put a blanket ban on social media networking sites and other such applications in Jammu and Kashmir,” sources revealed to Kashmir Despatch.

Pertinently teams from Bangalore and Chandigarh were called to Kashmir by home ministry for blocking the social media sites and also to put ban on other proxy servers.

Last week authorities restored low speed mobile internet in Kashmir after being suspended for nearly six months in wake of the centre’s decision to revoke Article 370. However, through the mobile internet facility, the users have been allowed to access only 301 websites approved by the administration.

The 301 sites approved includes search engines and those associated with banking, education, news, travel , utilities and employment websites.