The government on Friday extended the mobile internet shutdown in and around Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site until 12 midnight, directing telecom service providers (TSPs) to suspend mobile internet services within a 1.5-km radius of the protest venue. The latest extension marks the sixth internet shutdown order issued in the area over the last five days.
The first shutdown order was issued on July 20, directing telecom operators, including Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea, to suspend mobile internet services from 10 am to 6 pm in parts of central Delhi around Jantar Mantar. A second order followed on July 22, cutting internet access from 6 pm until 6 am the next morning.
The third order was on Thursday, extending the suspension from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. A fourth order later on Thursday extended the shutdown from 4.30 pm until 12 midnight, people aware of the matter in the telecom industry.
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On Friday morning, the government again first suspended the mobile internet till noon and later issued the sixth order, directing telecom companies to block mobile internet till midnight.
{{/usCountry}}On Friday morning, the government again first suspended the mobile internet till noon and later issued the sixth order, directing telecom companies to block mobile internet till midnight.
{{/usCountry}}Among the areas affected by the orders are Janpath market near Connaught Place, Le Meridien, Shangri-La hotel, National Media Centre, and the Indian Women’s Press Corps office.
The repeated internet suspensions have forced many protesters to look for alternative ways to communicate. Some turned to apps such as Bitchat Mesh, which do not rely on mobile internet. Instead, the app creates a Bluetooth-based mesh network that connects nearby users, allowing messages to be exchanged without an internet connection.
The absence of mobile internet did little to disrupt the organisation of the protest. Volunteers coordinated on the ground to distribute drinking water, food, and medicines to attendees, while others used hand fans to help protesters cope with the sweltering heat and humidity.