Broadband Internet services restored in Kashmir

Srinagar: Broadband Internet services were restored in Kashmir on Thursday, a day after the Jammu and Kashmir administration lifted a ban on social media in the Union Territory, ending a seven-month information blackout in the valley, officials said.

Internet services were snapped across all platforms on August 4 last year. The next day, the Centre revoked the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The broadband services have been restored in the Valley this afternoon," the officials said.

The ban on accessing social media sites and applications was revoked by the authorities on Wednesday. In an order issued as part of the weekly review process, they reiterated the restrictions imposed earlier but remained silent on the social media ban.

The government lifted restrictions on access to thousands of sites like Facebook and popular messaging app WhatsApp through mobile Internet platforms.

However, the cap on Internet speed will remain and mobile data service will be restricted to 2G.

Netizens found the sudden lifting of the social media ban hard to believe, with some wondering what prompted the decision.