Manipur eases internet service restrictions, keeps mobile data ban intact

The Manipur government on Thursday partially lifted the ban on internet services in the valley, allowing broadband services to resume under specific conditions.

The internet services were suspended in the state’s five valley districts on Tuesday in the wake of intensified agitation by students. The move to partially restore services comes after a comprehensive review of the temporary suspension of internet and mobile data services, including Lease Lines, VSATs, Broadbands, and VPN services, imposed earlier due to concerns over public safety and misinformation.

The state government said the decision to lift the ban on broadband services, such as Internet Leased Line (ILL) and Fiber to the Home (FTTH), has been made considering the hardships faced by citizens.

It said that the prolonged internet shutdown had significantly affected various sectors, including offices, educational institutions, chartered accountancy firms, lawyers, healthcare facilities, refueling centers, electricity and mobile recharges, LPG bookings, and other online citizen-centric services.

The restoration of broadband services, however, is subject to stringent conditions to ensure security and prevent misuse:

Internet connections will be provided only through static IP, and subscribers are prohibited from using any other connection type.
Subscribers are barred from creating Wi-Fi networks or hotspots from their routers or systems.
Media Access Control (MAC) binding at the system or router level must be enforced, and social media websites and VPNs will be blocked at the local level.
Subscribers must remove any existing VPN software from their systems and are prohibited from installing new ones.
There will be physical monitoring to check for any violations of these conditions, and subscribers must change login IDs and passwords daily.

The government warned that violators will face legal consequences under relevant laws. Subscribers will also be held accountable for any actions of secondary users of the internet if unauthorised Wi-Fi or hotspots are activated.

Meanwhile, fresh violence erupted in Manipur in the past few days, with drones and missiles being used in the recent attacks.