Months-long internet blackout drives up costs for residents of Thandwe and Gwa

By Admin 24 Oct 2026

DMG Newsroom

24 October 2026, Thandwe

A months-long internet shutdown in Thandwe and Gwa townships has severely disrupted social and economic life across southern Arakan State, according to local residents.

Residents of Thandwe and Gwa townships are being forced to travel long distances to neighboring areas to access the internet, incurring high travel costs and spending extended periods on the road.

Residents face steep expenses, including round-trip bus fares, food, overnight accommodation and cash withdrawal fees, just to get online or retrieve remittances sent by family members working abroad.

“In the past, internet service was available in our area, but now that it has been shut down, we face immense hardship,” a male resident of Kyaukkyi Village in Thandwe Township said. “When internet access was available close to home, total expenses were at most K30,000. Now that we have to travel long distances to use it, transportation, meals and money transfer fees make the overall cost significantly higher.”

Amid widespread unemployment and severe economic hardship, many families in southern Arakan State depend heavily on financial support from relatives working abroad.

Because communication with overseas relatives is essential to their survival, residents continue to undertake costly journeys to access the internet despite the financial burden.

“I have to travel to other towns to contact my family abroad,” a female resident of Gwa Township said. “We rely completely on income sent by our children and husbands working overseas, so staying in touch is critical. However, because travel and service costs are so high, nearly half of the remittance money sent from abroad is consumed by travel expenses.”

In southern Arakan State, money changer commission fees currently stand at 6.5 percent.

Transportation costs are also steep. Round-trip fares from Thandwe to areas with internet access cost around K40,000, while round-trip travel from Gwa costs more than K100,000.

Residents said these fares cover travel between towns, while costs can be higher for people traveling from more distant rural villages.

Daily food expenses for people traveling to access telephone and internet signals average around K25,000 per person.

Because people traveling from remote areas often cannot access the internet on the day they arrive, many are forced to pay for overnight accommodation while waiting.

Commercial internet service providers shut down operations after the military junta launched intense aerial bombardment campaigns across Thandwe and Gwa townships in early August.

Although Starlink satellite internet services are permitted across Arakan State to support local livelihoods, trade and access to news, gathering at commercial internet hubs poses serious safety risks amid continued threats of junta airstrikes.