A bench of Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh and Justice A Guneshwar Sharma on Friday said, “After hearing the submissions advanced by the counsel appearing for the parties, we are of the considered view that the State authorities, specially, the Home Department should consider for devising mechanism/methods for providing internet services through mobile phones by whitelisting the mobile numbers on case to case basis and in a phase-wise manner. The State authorities are directed to consider this aspect and to submit a report on the next date”.
The court was hearing a bunch of petitions seeking restoration of mobile internet services which were blocked after violence broke out in the state on May 3.
M. Rarry counsel representing the State authorities submitted that in terms of the directions given by this Court, the State Government has issued necessary orders lifting the ban on providing internet through broadband services (ILL & FTTH) in a liberalized manner subject to fulfillment of certain safeguards/terms and conditions and as of now, many of the public have availed such internet services.
The counsel for the State authorities said that it has further been submitted that in terms of the earlier directions given by this Court, the authorities have conducted physical trial with regard to the opening internet ban through mobile phones by whitelisting certain mobile numbers and as per the report submitted by the service providers, there is no data leakage to any other numbers which are not whitelisted.
Counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted that since there has been no data leakage with regard to providing internet services to the whitelisted mobile phones, appropriate order can be passed by this Court directing the State Government to take necessary steps for whitelisting mobile phones in a gradual manner for providing internet services.M. Rarry, submitted that the State authorities may be given two weeks’ time to devise certain measures/mechanism for whitelisting mobile phones and the liberty to consider whitelisting of mobile numbers on case to case basis and in a phase-wise manner.The court will again hear the matter on August 31.
On July 25 the Manipur government after 84 days with certain conditions partially lifted the ban on the internet in the ethnic violence-hit state. Manipur Home Commissioner T Ranjit Singh in an order had said that the state government has made considered decision to lift suspension in case of broadband service (Internet Lease Line and Fibre to the Home) conditionally in a liberalised manner subject to fulfilment of 10 conditions, including connection have to be only through static IP.
Mobile internet is still banned.