White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Wednesday said that Egypt had not taken sufficient steps to restore communications, including social networking contacts and cell phone service.
"I think that given the reports that Internet reception remains spotty at very best," said Gibbs, "they have not yet done what needs to happen as it relates to fulfilling that individual and basic right."
Web service tracker Renesys reported midday Wednesday that Egyptian ISPs and sites like the Egyptian stock exchange were back in business as of a little before noon.
The White House has made free and open Internet communications a foreign policy goal
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"There is no acceptable excuse for not turning back on the Internet, giving people the ability to communicate with cell phones, to access social networking sites," Gibbs said. "You've heard the President say in trips throughout the world and in calls with the government of Egypt, those are part of the basic human freedoms that people everywhere should enjoy."
The Egyptian government blocked access to the Internet last week.
