Afghanistan faces nationwide Internet and mobile blackout as Taliban cuts fibre optic network
PTC Web Desk: Afghanistan experienced a second consecutive day without internet and mobile phone services on Tuesday, following a decision by Taliban authorities to cut the country’s fibre optic network. The disruption began earlier this month in some provinces as part of measures to curb “vice,” according to officials.
On Monday evening, both mobile signals and Internet connectivity gradually weakened, dropping to less than one percent of normal levels, as reported by Internet monitoring group NetBlocks. This marks the first countrywide communication shutdown since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021 and implemented a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
“We are blind without phones and internet,” said a shopkeeper in Kabul, adding all their business relies on mobiles.
A government official confirmed that the shutdown would involve “eight to nine thousand telecommunications pillars” and would affect both mobile and internet services. The official added the blackout would continue “until further notice” and warned of widespread disruptions, including in banking, customs, and other critical sectors.
In Afghanistan, telephone services often rely on the same fibre optic lines as internet connections, making them vulnerable in countries with limited telecommunications infrastructure. In recent weeks, internet services across the country have been intermittent and extremely slow.
On September 16, Attaullah Zaid, a spokesperson for Balkh province, announced that fibre optic internet had been fully banned in the northern province under orders from Taliban leadership. He stated that the measure was intended to prevent vice and that alternative communication options would eventually be provided nationwide. Similar restrictions were also reported in Badakhshan, Takhar, Kandahar, Helmand, Nangarhar, and Uruzgan provinces.
Despite Afghanistan boasting a 9,350-km (5,800-mile) fibre optic network, largely constructed during previous US-backed administrations, the Taliban government now appears to prioritise control over connectivity rather than expansion. This network was originally promoted as a critical tool to modernise the country and boost economic development.
- With inputs from agencies
