Overview

• Independent monitors report connectivity collapsing to near zero since Monday evening local time, indicating a deliberate shutdown.
• A Taliban official said 8,000 to 9,000 telecom masts and the national fiber backbone were disabled, crippling mobile data and phone services.
• Humanitarian agencies and news organizations lost contact with staff, while departures from Kabul were canceled and banking and government operations were disrupted.
• This first countrywide cutoff since 2021 removes a crucial lifeline for women and girls who depended on online education and home-based livelihoods.
• Only costly VSAT satellite links keep limited access for some embassies, UN offices and banks, as reports describe internal regime tensions over the economic fallout.