Residents of several villages in the Mawer area of Handwara sub-district expressed resentment over poor mobile internet speeds provided by private telecom operators Jio and Airtel, saying the inadequate connectivity has caused hardships in their daily lives.
Residents said that while much of Kashmir has access to 5G services, people in Mawer continue to struggle with slow internet speeds.
Villages including Umer Abad, Lam, Audoora, Warpora, Checki Audoora and Drugnsoo are among the worst affected, they said.
The poor connectivity has affected online education, remote work, access to information and other digital services, residents said.
“Students in the area are suffering because of the low internet speed. Several job aspirants, including those preparing for civil services examinations, have repeatedly raised the issue but nothing has been done. Many have now shifted to relatives’ homes to continue their preparations,” a local resident told Greater Kashmir.
Residents said reliable high-speed internet has become essential for education, employment, communication and access to government and other online services.
They alleged that despite repeatedly bringing the issue to the notice of the concerned telecom operators, their complaints had not been addressed.
The residents sought the intervention of Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Shrikant Balasaheb, urging him to take up the matter with the telecom operators and ensure reliable mobile internet connectivity in the affected areas.
