High speed 4G internet services will be restored in two districts in Jammu and Kashmir beginning midnight on trial basis, said officials.

The services will be restored in Ganderbal and Udhampur districts of the Union Territory and it will be the first time when high speed internet services will return to the region after restrictions were clamped following abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two union territories last year on August 5.

The restoration of 4G services is being done on the recommendation of a panel constituted by the Supreme Court of India to review the restrictions vis-à-vis the security situation in the Union Territory.

This will be for the first time in the past 12 months that JK will witness high speed mobile internet in any area

The committee has decided that the restoration of 4G will be done on a trial basis from tonight while the rest of the 18 districts in the Union Territory will continue to have 2G services.

The decision is in line with Centre’s assurance to the Supreme Court that the 4G ban will be lifted in one district each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions from August 16.

The assurance was given while the Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by Foundation for Media Professionals, a non-government organisation, seeking the initiation of contempt proceedings against the Centre and J-K administration for the failure to comply with the top court’s May 11 directions to review restrictions on mobile internet speed in the Union Territory.

The top court had asked Centre to explore the possibility of restoring 4G mobile internet services in view of former J&K Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu’s endorsement of the restoration.

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