Taliban Blames Internet Blackout on Failing Infrastructure, Denies Ban
Taliban blames internet blackout on infrastructure as Afghanistan grinds to a halt
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has firmly rejected reports of a nationwide internet ban, asserting that ongoing communication disruptions are due to deteriorating fiber optic cables that are currently being replaced. The statement, issued on Wednesday, marks the Taliban’s first official response to a widespread blackout that has paralyzed banking, commerce, aviation, and humanitarian operations across the country.
The outage, first reported by internet advocacy group Netblocks on Monday, has affected connectivity in multiple provinces, including the capital, Kabul, and has also impacted telephone services. Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in a statement shared via WhatsApp and posted on X, dismissed rumors of a deliberate ban, stating that the disruptions stem from “decaying fibre optic infrastructure.” However, no timeline for service restoration was provided, leaving citizens and organizations in limbo.
The blackout has had profound effects on Afghans, both within the country and abroad. Maruf Nabizada, who fled Afghanistan in 2022 and now resides in the Netherlands, described the emotional toll of being unable to contact his family in Herat province. “When you cannot hear from your loved ones, you get worried if something has happened to them,” Nabizada told The Associated Press, recounting how his wife cried after failing to reach her mother and sister. He expressed fears that the outage could persist for weeks or months, severing a critical lifeline for the Afghan diaspora.
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The disruption has also grounded critical services, with Afghan carrier Kam Air suspending flights to Kabul since Monday due to the outage, though it announced plans to resume operations later Wednesday. Humanitarian organizations, including Save the Children, have raised alarms about the blackout’s impact on their ability to deliver aid. “Reliable communications are essential for our ability to operate and deliver life-saving assistance,” the organization stated, urging authorities to restore connectivity swiftly.
Speculation about the blackout’s cause has intensified, with some provinces citing a decree from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada aimed at combating immorality. The lack of clarity and prolonged outages have heightened concerns about Afghanistan’s infrastructure challenges and the Taliban’s capacity to address them, leaving millions disconnected and vulnerable.
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