Overview

• Internet watchdog NetBlocks reported national connectivity falling to single-digit levels, describing a nationwide telecom blackout with mobile and some telephone services also affected.
• The shutdown followed mid-September decrees beginning in Balkh, where a Taliban spokesman said the supreme leader ordered a fibre ban to prevent vice and promised unspecified alternative options.
• Kabul-based TOLOnews said broadcasters were disrupted and reported authorities set a one-week deadline to switch off 3G and 4G mobile data, leaving only 2G service.
• Operational fallout included banks, customs and newsrooms losing communications, with flight trackers showing multiple cancellations at Kabul’s airport.
• An unnamed official told AFP the cuts would continue until further notice, marking the first nationwide communications shutdown since the Taliban took power in 2021.