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1h ago

Taliban Orders Nationwide Communications Blackout in Afghanistan

Taliban officials frame the cut as a 'vice' prevention measure, drawing a UN call to restore access.

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A man tries to use Google on his smartphone amid total telecom shutdown across the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, September 30, 2025. REUTERS/Sayed Hassib
It is the first time since the Taliban government won their insurgency in 2021 that communications have been shutdown in the country

Overview

  • Connectivity has flatlined below 1% of normal levels, with NetBlocks describing a total shutdown that also disrupts mobile and fixed-line phone services routed over fiber.
  • The blackout followed mid-September provincial cuts ordered by supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, with officials promising unspecified 'alternative options' and reports of a possible downgrade to 2G.
  • UNAMA urged immediate reconnection, warning of severe harm to rights and the economy, as agencies and businesses revert to radio or limited satellite links.
  • Banking and customs services have stalled, media outlets lost contact with Kabul bureaus, diaspora remittances are interrupted, and multiple flights at Kabul airport were canceled.
  • The move marks the first nationwide communications shutdown since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, reversing earlier plans to expand the 9,350-km fiber network.