Mobile internet services were suspended within a four-kilometre radius of Delhi’s Jantar Mantar from 10 pm on October 9 to 10 pm on October 10, ahead of a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The restriction has brought the rules governing internet shutdowns into focus, including who can order them, what a suspension order must contain and whether authorities are required to make it public.

So what do these rules say, and can authorities suspend ordinary phone calls along with internet services?

Who can order an internet shutdown?

The Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024, govern the temporary suspension of telecom services in India. Introduced in November 2024, they replaced the 2017 rules issued under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.

Under Rule 3, the competent authority must issue a suspension order and record its reasons in writing. For the central government, this authority is the Union Home Secretary; for a state government, it is the state Home Secretary.

In unavoidable circumstances, an authorised officer of at least Joint Secretary rank may issue an order, but it must be confirmed by the competent authority within 24 hours.

What do the 2024 Telecom Rules say about suspension orders?

Under Rule 3(2), every suspension order must be published. It must specify the reasons for the restriction, the geographical area affected, the type of telecom service being suspended and the duration of the suspension. An order cannot remain in force for more than 15 days.

Authorities must also consider whether the intended objective can be achieved through other reasonable means before suspending services.

A copy of the order must be sent to the relevant review committee within 24 hours. For orders issued by the Centre, the committee comprises the Cabinet Secretary, who chairs it, the Secretary of the Department of Legal Affairs and the Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications.

Under Rule 5, the committee must meet within five days of the order being issued and examine whether it complies with the law. It can set aside an order that fails to meet the requirements of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.

The publication requirement also draws on a Supreme Court judgment. In January 2020, in Anuradha Bhasin vs Union of India, the court held that indefinite internet suspensions were impermissible and that shutdown orders must be made public. The case followed restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.

The court also held that restrictions on freedom of speech and expression, as well as the freedom to practise a profession or carry on a trade or business over the internet, must meet the test of proportionality. In other words, a restriction must be justified by a legitimate objective.

When have internet services been suspended during protests before?

Internet shutdowns have been used during protests and periods of unrest in several parts of India.

On January 26, 2021, the Central government suspended internet services for 12 hours at five Delhi border areas -- Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk and Nangloi -- after violence during the farmers’ tractor rally. The restrictions followed protests against the three farm laws that were later repealed.

In December 2019, during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, mobile services were suspended in parts of Delhi. The restrictions covered voice calls, SMS and internet services in areas including Mandi House, Seelampur, Jamia Nagar and Shaheen Bagh.

In September 2024, the Manipur government suspended internet services for five days in five valley districts amid student protests following renewed violence. The restrictions extended beyond mobile internet to services including broadband, leased lines, very small aperture terminal (VSAT) connections and virtual private networks (VPNs).

Delhi has also seen repeated mobile internet restrictions around Jantar Mantar. The Indian Express reported several such orders in July 2026, including restrictions around protest sites and areas extending towards Mandi House.

Can people make phone calls during an internet shutdown?

In most cases, yes. However, this depends on the scope of the suspension order.

An internet shutdown that specifically targets mobile data does not automatically mean that voice calls and SMS services are also blocked. Conventional calls made through a telecom operator's network generally continue if voice services have not been suspended. However, internet-based calling services, such as WhatsApp calls, require an internet connection and will not work without access to mobile data or Wi-Fi.

For instance, during the farmers' protests in January 2021, the Haryana government suspended mobile internet and SMS services in several districts amid concerns over public order. Voice calls were allowed to continue.

A similar restriction was imposed in August 2017 ahead of the court verdict against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh suspended mobile internet services for 72 hours ahead of the verdict, with the restrictions later extended in parts of the region. The orders suspended mobile data and SMS services but allowed ordinary voice calls to continue.

However, authorities have restricted voice services alongside internet access in some instances. During anti-CAA protests on December 19, 2019, Delhi Police directed telecom operators to suspend voice calls, SMS and internet services in several parts of the capital for four hours. In August 2019, following the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, communication restrictions in the Kashmir Valley also affected mobile voice calls, landlines and broadband connections.