What authoritarian ? The article states that the village council installed a siren which goes off at 7 P.M. everyday and they urged people to switch off their devices. Nobody is being forced to do anything here. There is a difference between urging one to do something and coercing.
It's really interesting to me that the BBC romanticizes the actions of a state known for using utilities and communication as a means of controlling it's citizens.
At least in the US we don't generally turn off communications infrastructure just as a response to criticism or political unrest. Or if it does happen, the government is exceptionally good at preventing that fact from surfacing.