Residents across Myanmar's northern Kachin State are struggling with mounting economic, educational, and humanitarian hardships following two full years of a total telecommunications and internet blackout imposed by the ruling military junta.
On July 21, the blackout reached its two-year mark. The military regime severed phone and mobile internet connections across most townships in the state—including its capital, Myitkyina—on July 21, 2024, amid escalating armed conflict with ethnic resistance forces.
"Our communication networks, which are essential for our livelihoods and daily lives, have been shut down for a very long time," a Myitkyina resident told the Myitkyina News Journal. "It has made working extremely difficult, and our household incomes have plummeted."
The prolonged shutdown has severely damaged the regional economy. E-commerce and delivery operations have ground to a halt, while merchants face severe bottlenecks conducting trade with commercial hubs like Yangon and Mandalay due to the breakdown of mobile banking systems.
To bypass the blockade, some residents and business owners have invested heavy capital into satellite internet hardware, such as Starlink and IPstar.
However, the extreme cost of equipment, combined with soaring fuel and solar power expenses required to offset daily power outages, has strained household finances.
Adding to their distress are persistent rumors that junta authorities may crack down on or shut down unregistered satellite networks like Starlink.
"If those reports prove true, everyone will be in serious trouble," the resident added. "A friend of mine paid millions of Myanmar Kyat (MMK) just last month to install a satellite device and solar panels because electricity is only available for a few hours a day."
Beyond the commercial impact, the communications vacuum has severely restricted educational opportunities for young people, hindering scholarship applications, online courses, and research.
The blackout has also compromised disaster response efforts during frequent seasonal flooding, leaving communities unable to access real-time weather updates or call for emergency rescue teams, resulting in higher property losses and casualties.
While domestic mobile operators—including MPT, Ooredoo, and Atom (formerly Telenor Myanmar)—have restored faint cellular coverage in select areas, local sources report that signal strength remains too weak to complete standard voice calls or process data. Furthermore, the absence of independent, credible reporting has led to the widespread proliferation of unverified rumors and misinformation.
Telecom blockades in Kachin State first began shortly after the February 2021 military coup, initially targeting Hpakant Township—the global epicenter of high-grade jade mining—before expanding Statewide in July 2024.
