Overview

• Local officials confirmed bans on fibre-optic service in Balkh, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Takhar and Baghlan, with residents reporting disruptions in Kandahar, Herat and Parwan.
• Haji Zaid in Balkh said the shutdown was to prevent immoral activities and that a domestic alternative would be developed, a stance echoed in Kunduz statements.
• Connectivity monitors reported steep traffic declines as homes, businesses, banks, NGOs and media lost affordable broadband and shifted to limited mobile service.
• Women and girls have been hit hardest, with online schools and women-led enterprises stalling and students describing unaffordable data, unstable connections and lost lifelines.
• Digital-rights groups call it the first large-scale shutdown since 2021 and warn it could extend to mobile data, while Afghan activists pursue Starlink access and VPN/mesh workarounds.