Displaying items by tag: communication shutdown

Afghanistan has entered near-total isolation after the Taliban government ordered a nationwide communications shutdown, drastically reducing connectivity to less than one percent of normal levels. The move follows weeks of restrictions on fibre optic networks, which officials justified as measures to prevent ‘vice’. Internet watchdogs described the blackout as ‘comprehensive’, warning of severe consequences for daily life, including banking, trade, and basic communication. Journalists reported losing contact with Kabul soon after the order was enacted. Provincial spokesmen confirmed that fibre optic service had already been banned in several northern and southern provinces earlier this month. While the Taliban had previously highlighted the 9,350-kilometre fibre network as a tool for economic development, the restrictions now threaten to deepen Afghanistan’s isolation and hinder essential services. Since retaking power in 2021, the Taliban have increasingly enforced sweeping limitations in line with their strict interpretation of Islamic law, leaving citizens with few avenues for connection to the outside world.