Mobile phone connections have been restored in the western parts of Banmauk Town in northern Sagaing Region, after a junta-enforced communications blackout had long affected the entire town, locals reported.

The western parts of the town and nearby gold mining sites around Thayetkone Village have been able to access mobile operator MPT's network since the evening of December 9.

However, the network is currently limited to phone calls, and mobile data internet is not yet available.

“Phone connections came back around 8:00 pm, but we still can’t get online,” said a mine worker.

Banmauk Town has been gradually cut off from all local mobile operators and Wi-Fi networks since 2023, with occasional periods when phone lines were briefly restored in certain areas.

However, after fighting erupted in September between the junta-Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA) coalition and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)-People's Defence Force (PDF) joint forces, the junta shut down all communication networks in the town.

Residents have had to rely on Starlink internet service where available, paying a fee of 5,000 MMK per hour. By contrast, a full month of Wi-Fi in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, costs just 35,000 to 40,000 MMK.

Currently, although MPT phone lines have been restored in the western part of Banmauk Town, the internet remains unavailable, forcing locals to continue relying on Starlink for online access.