The Taliban Has Now Completely Cut Off All Communications And Internet Services In Afghanistan
This is the first time that the whole of Afghanistan has faced an internet blackout under the Taliban, which took control of the country in 2021.
The Taliban has shut down the internet and telecommunication services across Afghanistan, cutting off millions of Afghans from transportation, banking, education and communication with the outside world.
Connectivity was cut in phases on Monday, Sept. 29, with the final stage affecting telephone services, according to Al Jazeera.
By midnight, the global cybersecurity monitor, NetBlocks, confirmed that Afghanistan was in a “total internet blackout”.
The UN said that Taliban officials had informed them that telecommunications and fiber optic connectivity would be suspended “until further notice”.
Several weeks ago, the Taliban had already cut fiber optic cables across several provinces in Afghanistan to tackle “vice and immorality”, according to the UN.
This is the first time that the whole of Afghanistan has faced an internet blackout under the Taliban, which took control of the country in 2021.
On Tuesday, Sept. 30, airports and banks were forced to close, and many students said they were unable to attend online classes.
“Nowadays everyone is connected with technology. The entire communication is down across the country. We have no communication with our friends and relatives,” a telecommunications worker told Reuters.
The shutdown is the latest in a series of restrictions by the Taliban, which, since taking control in August 2021, has rolled back decades of human rights progress, including banning girls and women from going to school, working, going out on their own and speaking aloud in public.
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