The Egyptian government restored Internet service to the country, ending an unprecedented week-long shutdown aimed at making it harder for protesters to organize.

The government restored Internet services back Wednesday, February 2, said Hassan Kabbani, chief executive of cellphone-service provider MobiNil. Websites that had been inaccessible for days, including the Central Bank of Egypt's, were available again at midday, and it was possible again to use services like Facebook chat.

The move appeared to be part of a broader appeal to return to normalcy following Mr. Mubarak's announcement that he wouldn't seek re-election this fall. An army spokesman appeared on television to ask protesters to return home and help "bring stability back to the country", The Wall Street Journal reports.