Jio outage paralyses Kullu

Kullu residents faced a complete communication blackout today as Reliance Jio’s mobile and fiber services remained non-functional throughout the day, severely impacting daily life. The unexpected outage disrupted businesses, education and essential online services, leaving many scrambling for alternatives.

The breakdown reportedly began in the early morning following severe power fluctuations in the region. These fluctuations triggered a failure in Jio’s network infrastructure, leading to a total collapse of services. Initially perceived as a minor glitch, the outage persisted into the night, affecting thousands of users across the district.

Jio issued a statement in the afternoon acknowledging the disruption: “We are facing a temporary service interruption in some areas since afternoon, due to which services for JioFiber connection may be affected. We expect this to get resolved by 6 pm. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience.” However, many areas remained disconnected well past the promised timeline, increasing frustration among users.

Local businesses bore the maximum impact. Vikrant, a travel agent based in Kullu, said his operations came to a standstill. “All our bookings, payments and client coordination are done online. Today, we suffered major losses due to the internet outage,” he said. Many small businesses, including shops and cafes that rely on digital payment platforms, faced similar challenges.

Students preparing for ongoing school examinations also struggled. With e-learning portals and study apps inaccessible, many were left without vital study materials. Parents voiced concerns over their children’s disrupted preparation. “My son couldn’t access his online tests. This disruption adds unnecessary stress during exams,” one parent shared.

Compounding the situation, several users reported technical glitches with Jio routers. Neha, a resident of Kullu, said many routers in her area failed to connect due to network congestion. “It’s frustrating. The whole system just collapsed,” she said.

Interestingly, BSNL’s services remained functional, prompting many residents to switch temporarily or borrow connections from neighbours. The incident sparked a larger debate over the reliability of private telecom networks and the need for stronger contingency systems.

Angry customers took to social media, demanding better infrastructure and more transparent communication from Jio during such critical outages. For a district like Kullu that increasingly depends on digital connectivity, today’s blackout was more than just an inconvenience—it was a wake-up call.