Thantlang, 19 December
Despite the military council’s cuts on internet and telephone services, satellite internet has been widely used in some strongholds of resistance forces.
According to research organizations, it has been nearly two years since the military council cut off phone and internet access in nearly 50 resistance strongholds during the coup in Myanmar, which has 330 townships.
The townships that have been cut off from the internet, including Thantlang Township Administration, have recently begun using their own internet via satellite.
Earlier this month, some organizations announced that Thantlang, the first town to be burned down by the military council, had its own internet for about a year.
Since August 2022, Team Znet, the technical support group of Thantlang People’s Administration, has been providing private wireless internet services in Thantlang.
“Despite being able to provide private Internet services, we are facing high electricity and equipment prices, as well as the need for funding,” a Team Znet official told Than Lwin Times. “It is extremely difficult to access electricity in Chin State. When we use other technologies, electricity is our second challenge,” he explained.
Team Znet is currently able to provide wireless internet services to the revolutionary armed forces, departments under the People’s Administration, Health, and the People’s Police, and continues to strive to make it readily accessible to the general public.
Almost 40% of Thantlang Township now has 20 Mbps internet access, which will be expanded to more areas in the coming year.
Free Burma Ranger (FBR) founder David Eubank said in June that Karenni State, which has been cut off from Internet access, has started using Starlink Internet.
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by American aerospace company SpaceX, providing coverage to over 54 countries.
Starlink Internet is currently widely used by Karenni State’s revolutionary forces, which have overcome the military council’s internet blocking.
U Than Soe Naing, a military and political analyst, criticized the military council for cutting off the Internet, creating a huge difficulty for the public and revolutionary organizations.
On November 22, the military council also announced that those who use satellite internet services illegally in Myanmar need to get a license, and those who do not comply with the prohibitions will face prosecution under Section 67 of the Telecommunications Law.
An independent research group reported that 330 townships were cut off from phone and internet access at least once during the coup, with Karenni and Chin State suffering the worst.
Currently, in the midst of Operation 1027 of the Three Brotherhood Alliance and the balanced offensive attacks of the revolutionary forces, the military council has again cut internet access in Rakhine, Mon, Karenni, Chin, Kachin, Karen State, and Sagaing.
According to a July report by Economy Online, Myanmar became the worst country in the world for phone and internet disruptions during the coup.
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