J&K floods: Vodafone says it is ensuring connectivity for its customers

Chandigarh: Telecom major Vodafone today said it is ensuring connectivity for its customers by restoring its network and providing connectivity to other subscribers through the intra-circle roaming (ICR) arrangement in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir.

The important towns where telecom services have been restored are Srinagar, Ganderbal, Anantang, Pahalgam, Ashmuqam, Seer, Mattan, Qazigund, Kukernag, Achabal, Pulwama, Tral, Awantipora, Chadoora, Budgam, Charare Sharif, Magam, Bandipora, Sopore, Pattan, Baramula, Gulmarg, Drugmulla, Keeri and Handwara, a company release said today.

The important places where services were restored include Hazratbal, Lal Chowk, Budgam Railway Station and Airport.

Six out of eight Base Switching Centre of Kashmir have been made live and paired with Jammu’s Main Switching Centre.

“We have approximately 700 sites (including ICR) providing coverage in the Valley. We have around 3 lakh active customer base, which is around 73 percent of our total base before network went down,” it said.

From 12 September, Vodafone started providing daily free 60 local and STD minutes for all of its customers and it will continue till tomorrow.

In a step which will come to the aid of those people who have lost their documents and any valid proof of identity, the company said that as per DOT guidelines “we have created special SIM which is being issued to the public at large without Proof of Identity/Proof of Residence”.

PTI