Afghanistan is experiencing a nationwide shutdown of telecommunications and internet services, imposed by the Taliban government. The blackout began after weeks of fibre-optic disruptions and has now escalated into what watchdog group NetBlocks describes as a “total internet blackout.”
International media outlets say they have lost contact with offices in Kabul, while mobile internet, satellite TV, and flight operations have also been severely affected. At least eight flights were cancelled at Kabul International Airport on Tuesday, according to Flightradar24.
The Taliban has not provided an official explanation but said the shutdown would last “until further notice.” Diplomats warn the blackout could cripple banking and e-commerce systems across the country.
Local residents told the BBC that connectivity issues had already disrupted businesses, education, and daily life. “Their last opportunity to study and stay engaged is now gone,” said a money changer in Takhar, whose daughters’ online classes were cut off.
Former Afghan journalists and politicians have compared the silence online to conditions in North Korea. “The silence without Afghan voices from inside the country is deafening,” wrote former MP Mariam Solaimankhil.
The shutdown is the latest in a series of restrictions imposed since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, which have included bans on women’s education, removal of female authors from university curricula, and the closure of midwifery courses.
For many Afghans, online study had been the last accessible path to education. A Kabul university student told the BBC: “When I heard the internet had been cut, the world felt dark to me.”
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