Afghanistan entered its second consecutive day without telecommunications on Tuesday after Taliban authorities severed fiber optic connections nationwide. Mobile signals and internet access dropped below one percent of normal capacity following Monday evening shutdowns that paralyzed commerce and isolated families. Government officials announced the closure of roughly 9,000 telecommunications infrastructure points for an indefinite period.
Taliban leadership began restricting high-speed connections in multiple provinces earlier this month to eliminate what authorities termed immoral activities. Provincial spokesman Attaullah Zaid confirmed complete bans on fiber connections in Balkh and other northern territories under direct orders from Taliban leaders. Banking operations, customs processing and delivery services halted as businesses suspended activities during the blackout.
The disruption marks the first nationwide communications shutdown since Taliban forces established control in 2021. Kabul merchants reported frozen markets as transactions requiring mobile connectivity became impossible. Monitoring organization NetBlocks confirmed the outage appeared deliberately executed rather than resulting from technical failures.
Taliban leadership began restricting high-speed connections in multiple provinces earlier this month to eliminate what authorities termed immoral activities. Provincial spokesman Attaullah Zaid confirmed complete bans on fiber connections in Balkh and other northern territories under direct orders from Taliban leaders. Banking operations, customs processing and delivery services halted as businesses suspended activities during the blackout.
The disruption marks the first nationwide communications shutdown since Taliban forces established control in 2021. Kabul merchants reported frozen markets as transactions requiring mobile connectivity became impossible. Monitoring organization NetBlocks confirmed the outage appeared deliberately executed rather than resulting from technical failures.
