Afghanistan has been plunged into a nationwide communications blackout after the Taliban cut off fibre optic networks, leaving millions without internet and mobile services. This marks the first time since the group seized power in 2021 that such a large-scale shutdown has been enforced.
According to NetBlocks, a global watchdog monitoring internet access, connectivity in Afghanistan dropped to less than one percent of normal levels on Monday night. The disruption came after weeks of Taliban authorities gradually shutting down high-speed internet in some provinces, citing efforts to prevent “vice.”
By late Monday, mobile signals and internet services had all but disappeared. The shutdown has paralyzed daily life and commerce. “We are blind without phones and internet,” said Najibullah, a 42-year-old shopkeeper in Kabul. “All our business relies on mobiles. The deliveries are with mobiles. It’s like a holiday, everyone is at home. The market is totally frozen.”
A government official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that between 8,000 and 9,000 telecommunications towers were taken offline. He added that the blackout would last “until further notice.” The move has affected not only businesses and households but also essential services such as the banking sector and customs operations.
The blackout has left Afghans at home and abroad cut off from their loved ones. “Because of the shutdown, I’m totally disconnected with my family in Kabul,” a 40-year-old Afghan living in Oman told AFP.
NetBlocks stated that the disruption is consistent with an intentional government-led disconnection. International news agency AFP also reported losing contact with its Kabul bureau at 5:45 pm local time on Monday.
The communications blackout underscores the Taliban’s tightening grip on Afghan society, using digital restrictions as a tool of control. With no alternative communication systems in place, the country’s economy and social fabric remain in a state of paralysis.
