The government on Tuesday night started restoring the broadband internet, censoring Facebook and WhatsApp to curb anti-state propaganda on social media, Daily Sun reports.
Initially, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been directed to restore connections to media, hospitals, airports, export-oriented sectors and other important entities.
"We’re planning to restore the internet in phases giving priority to emergency services like media and hospitals. And then export-oriented sectors and freelancers will get the privilege of connectivity. The broadband will be restored on a limited scale," State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak said on Tuesday.
Sources at the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPAB) claimed that the telecom regulator met the representatives of International Internet Gateway (IIG) to assess the restoration of the internet sans social media platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp.
Operators claimed that the cables of different private internet exchanges were damaged at Khwaja Tower adjacent to the Directorate of Disaster Management building which caught fire.
Private internet exchanges located at Khwaja Tower represent around 85 per cent of broadband connections in the country.
Since Thursday, BTRC and ISPAB have been claiming the cable damage behind the internet blackout.
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