After 167 days, Govt restores voice, SMS services on all mobile phones

2G internet on postpaid in 12 districts to access 153 'whitelisted' websites

JAMMU: After remaining suspended for five-and-a-half-month, voice call and SMS services on the prepaid mobile connections were restored in the Kashmir Valley on Saturday, even as the Jammu and Kashmir administration also ordered the restoration of the 2G mobile data service on postpaid connections in five more districts of Jammu division and two in Valley, for accessing 153 ‘whitelisted’ websites.
The administration has also ordered fixed line internet connectivity with precautions to the companies engaged in software services in the Valley, while the telecom operators have been asked to verify the credentials of prepaid subscribers on the line of postpaid connections, so as to provide them as well with the 2G mobile internet in the future.
The fresh order which will remain in force till January 24, came three days after the government announced partial restoration of 2G services in five of the 10 districts of Jammu and broadband facilities for essential services including banks, government offices, trade, tourism and travel establishments.
The latest development comes a week after the Supreme Court, in a significant ruling on January 10, asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to review within a week all orders imposing curbs in the Union Territory.
Internet services, landline and mobile phones were snapped across Jammu and Kashmir on the eve of Centre's announcement to scrap special status of the erstwhile state and its bifurcation into Union Territories on August 5.
While most of the services except mobile internet were restored in Jammu within a week, Kashmir witnessed restoration of landlines and postpaid mobile services and internet facilities to essential services like hospitals in phases.
Postpaid mobile phones became operational in the Valley after 70 days while SMS services were restored on January 1.
On Saturday, the government ordered the restoration of the prepaid mobile service in the Valley, in a major relief to lakhs of such subscribers across Kashmir.
"After a careful review, the competent authority has ordered today (Saturday) that voice and SMS facility shall be restored on all local prepaid SIM cards across the Union Territory of J&K,” Principal Secretary and Jammu and Kashmir government spokesman Rohit Kansal told reporters here.
He said the internet service providers -- BSNL and private service providers -- would provide fixed line internet connectivity with precautions already directed to all companies engaged in the software services sector.
"2G mobile data services on postpaid mobiles for accessing the whitelisted sites shall be allowed in all 10 districts of Jammu division and to begin with, in the two revenue districts of Kupwara and Bandipora in Kashmir division," Kansal said.
It may be recalled that on January 14, the government had announced partial restoration of 2G services in five of the 10 districts of Jammu region--- Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi to access ‘whitelisted’ websites.
Now, the 2G internet on postpaid mobiles has also been restored in Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch and Ramban.
With regard to the details of the white listed companies, he said that the competent authority has released a list of all 153 websites that have been identified as white list category and can be accessed through 2G mobile data services.
A quick look into the list reveals that the government has excluded social media platforms and news website, whilst dividing the websites into 10 sections.
The ‘whitelisted’ websites comprise four email services, including Gmail and Outlook, 15 banking websites, including RBI, J&K Bank, PayPal and Western Union, three employment websites, 38 educational websites, including that of five J&K-based universities and Wikipedia, among others.
Incredible India website and the site for the Amarnath Shrine Board are among the 20 travel websites on the list. Income tax e-filing, passport and UIDAI websites will also be available where broadband services are operational.
Entertainment websites such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hotter are among the 11 domains on the whitelist.
Kansal said the mobile internet connectivity would, however, remain suspended in Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian districts in the Valley.
"Telecom service providers are being issued instructions to operationalise the directions immediately after providing all the safeguards detailed in the order issued today (Saturday) by the competent authority," Kansal told reporters here.
"Further in order to consider, provision of mobile internet connectivity on such SIM cards, the telecom service providers shall initiate the process of verification of credentials for these subscribers as per available norms for postpaid subscribers," Kansal, who is the official spokesperson of the government, said.
On January 10, the Supreme Court came down heavily on the UT administration for arbitrarily shutting down the internet, the facility described as a fundamental right by the apex court.
Kansal said the overall effort is to keep the restrictions to bare minimum based on the ground situation.
As per the order issued by Principal Secretary, Home Department, Shaleen Kabra "the directions would be effective from Saturday and remain in force till January 24, unless modified earlier.
"Assessment of the overall security scenario in the UT of J and K pursuant to directions on January 14 relating to the regulation of telecom services does not indicate any immediate adverse impact in the areas where internet access was provided," the order read.