Afghanistan faces nationwide communications blackout

New Delhi, Sep 30: Afghanistan has plunged into a major communications blackout after Taliban authorities began severing fibre-optic internet connections across several provinces, a move they say is aimed at preventing “vice.” Internet watchdog NetBlocks reported that “national connectivity is at 14% of ordinary levels,” report Guardian, describing the disruption as consistent with an intentional shutdown.

The group said pulling fibre lines has also disrupted telephone services, since both rely on the same infrastructure in much of the country.

The blackout follows weeks of intermittent and slowed connections after Taliban officials began curbing access earlier this month. On 16 September, Balkh province spokesperson Attaullah Zaid confirmed fibre-optic internet had been “completely banned” on the leader’s orders, with similar measures reported in Badakhshan, Takhar, Kandahar, Helmand, Nangarhar and Uruzgan.

The shutdown undermines a 9,350-kilometre fibre network built largely under previous US-backed governments, once hailed as a lifeline for Afghanistan’s economic development. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions under their interpretation of Islamic law, with the latest crackdown now severing much of the country’s link to the outside world.