No improvement in mobile, internet services

Despite repeated assurances by the government, there is no improvement in mobile and internet network in Kashmir causing immense problems to the people.
Kashmir was cut off from the rest of the world following devastating floods. Mobile phone and other services were affected due to floods which have badly hit BSNL and others telecom infrastructure in Kashmir. However, a week ago Union Telecommunication Minister and later Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured that network would be resumed in less than week’s time.
Various telecom operators in Kashmir have also said that free talk-time facility will be given to the people for a week.
“For whole day I could make only three phone calls. There was network busy or the call was not connected,” said Muhammad Abdullah of Batamaloo. “I have services of BSNL and a connection of private company, but both did not work,” he added.
The people allege that the claims of the government are hoax. “Three days ago Chief Minister in a Radio interview said that cellular network would be resumed in a day, but there has been no such development,” said Mukhtar Ahmad, a Dalgate resident said adding that faulty mobile network has added to their miseries.
The residents of north Kashmir said that though there is network from last night, but there is no connectivity. “We are not able make calls or surf internet,” said Muhammad Akbar of Sopore.
Muhammad Iqbal, an Armpora Kupwara resident said that from last more than a week he is trying to contact his relatives in Srinagar, who have been hit by floods. “I could not contact them. No mobile is working,” Iqbal said adding that he has no information about them.
An official of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) said that the network has almost been restored. “We had brought experts from Hyderabad and Bangalore for restoration of services,” he said and claimed that mobile services have been restored. The official added BSNL has also entered into an intra-circle roaming pact with a private telecom company for three weeks so that connectivity is provided to users.