Afghanistan Internet Blackout Deepens Under Taliban Rule
The country is facing a sweeping telecom shutdown as Taliban authorities cut nationwide internet services. Officials have disrupted fiber-optic networks and halted mobile and satellite television transmissions across Afghanistan. A Taliban official said the outage would remain in place until further notice, stirring concerns about access to information, banking, and daily life. The private Afghan channel Tolo News has urged viewers to follow its social media pages for updates as traditional broadcasts stall and online platforms experience interruptions.
From Fiber to Mobile: A Wide-Ranging Impact
Initial reports indicate that the backbone fiber-optic network—along with mobile data and satellite television—has been knocked offline across the country. The disruptions affect households, businesses, and government services, leaving many scrambling to find alternate sources of information and communication. The outage has left residents dependent on sporadic, local networks, while ordinary tasks such as payments and communication grow increasingly difficult. The situation illustrates Afghanistan’s growing vulnerability to gaps in digital infrastructure and the fragility of the country’s telecom ecosystem.
Kabul Airport Grounded: Flights Canceled
In addition to the telecom blackout, Kabul’s airport has seen several flight disruptions. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 reported at least eight departures and arrivals canceled on Tuesday, signaling the broader economic and logistical disruption beyond telecommunications. Passengers and airport staff on the ground reported that the fiber-based internet links disappeared by late afternoon local time, complicating check-ins, banking transactions, and other essential services tied to travel and commerce.
Economic and Daily-Life Repercussions
Industry observers warn that the full scale of the outage may not be evident until banking services and businesses reopen in the morning. With digital payments and online communications disrupted, even routine activities such as paying bills, arranging shipments, and coordinating daily schedules become challenging. The Taliban’s communications stance—without a clear timeline for restoration—adds a layer of uncertainty for merchants, workers, and students who rely on connectivity for schooling, employment, and access to information.
What Comes Next
Afghanistan’s telecommunications sector has long faced vulnerabilities, with infrastructure concentrated around major cities and imported by a limited number of providers. The current shutdown underscores the fragility of digital connectivity in the country and raises questions about resilience, cybersecurity, and governance of information access. International observers and humanitarian partners may call for a rapid restoration of essential services to alleviate the immediate social and economic impact while discussions continue about longer-term stabilization and investment in digital infrastructure.
