Net-savvy too hit the streets in hunt for Wi-Fi

Ishfaq Tantray 

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 29

Apart from the protesters, a new breed of people busy with cellphones in their hands can be seen on street corners, alley’s or shopping malls of the curfew-bound Srinagar city.

With mobile Internet services remaining banned in the region for the past 21 days following the  killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8, these people  with smartphones look for the Wi-Fi hotspots to hook onto Internet and social networking sites.

It is because of the snapping of the  mobile Internet that the mobile-crazy and Net-savvy  youth, with some exception of elderly too,  can be seen requesting  friends or acquaintances having the  facility of Wi-Fi  for the  passwords of these mostly secured networks. 

“After the mobile Internet services were snapped, I felt I was living in some other world. Finally, a friend and neighbour who had broadband invited me and other friends to his home to access Internet and shared the password of his Wi-Fi  with us,” said Bashir Ahmad, an avid user of mobile Internet, who also maintains a constant presence on social networking sites.

Describing the feeling of accessing the Net, he said, “After three days of ban, I could access the Internet through Wi-Fi. We were happy to see messages and newspapers. For almost five days a week, I would visit my friend’s home for this purpose. Due to the virtual world of Net, the social and friendship bonds of the real world  have been revived  once again,” he said, while describing his friend as a gracious host. 

For some, the absence of mobile Internet also turned out to be a blessing in disguise. “I had downloaded a lot of  data, including movies, documentaries and other kind of stuff, which I found a chance to watch over these days on my smartphone and laptop. Otherwise, during most of my spare time I would go on surfing the Net on my  mobile,” says Waqas, who works with a multinational company.

For the elderly, it has also been a learning experience to switch over to the new medium of Wi-Fi. “I have hardly been attracted by the use of Internet on my mobile. But under the present scenario, when virtually there was a communication blockade and no access to the newspapers, broadband and Wi-Fi have become important. The Wi-Fi  has helped me to remain in constant touch with the  world outside. By dint of its services, I got a continuous flow of e-mails and correspondences,” said an elderly city resident, who feels amazed  after having used the Wi-Fi  services.    

But the experts and activists see the  absence of  communication services, particularly the  mobile Internet services, a violation of the human and consumer rights as enshrined under the law.

“The absence of mobile Internet service has not only created communication gap and a communication blockade, but it has also deprived us to use the services which are  essential in modern  times and for which  we are paying charges,” said Dr Peer  GN Suhail, a Srinagar-based development policy analyst, adding that the lack of  Internet facilities, especially on mobiles, has affected the day-to-day functioning of the working class, especially the ones who have to connect with the people outside Kashmir on a frequent basis.