4G internet ban in JK extended till January 8; Ganderbal, Udhampur exempted

The ban on 4G internet in Jammu and Kashmir has been extended till January 8, said an order issued by the Union Territory's administration on Friday.

"The internet speed shall be continued to be restricted to 2G, except the districts of Ganderbal and Udhampur, where mobile internet connectivity shall be continued to be made available without any speed-related restrictions," said a statement issued by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The aforesaid directions shall be effective December 26, 2020 and remain in force till January 8, 2021, unless modified earlier," it further said.

There were credible inputs that a large number of terrorists were trying to infiltrate from across the border, the order said while adding that curbs on high-speed internet had obstructed the attempts.

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The adminstration cited the recently held Panchayat elections that saw participation by political parties, and said that it had gone down well with the "elements inimical to public peace and tranquility".

"The successful conduct of the recently concluded election, which witnessed participation of political parties across the spectrum and large scale voter turnout, has not gone down well with the elements inimical to public peace and tranquillity, as apparent from the multiple incidents of hurling of grenades by terrorists since the conclusion of the election process, targeting civilians/police personnel/security forces and the encounter with security forces," the order stated.

Mobile internet services were suspended in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 last year, in view of security concerns in the region after Article 370 was abrogated by the Central government.

The Central government also bifurcated the former State into Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The new UTs came into being on October 31.