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A wide view reveals a telecommunications tower amid a nationwide outage in Kabul on September 30, 2025. — AFP
– All flights at Kabul airport were canceled on Tuesday.
– Online businesses and banking systems are currently frozen.
– UN operations have reverted to radio communications.
The United Nations urged Taliban authorities in Afghanistan on Monday to restore internet and telecommunications immediately, just 24 hours after a complete blackout was enforced nationwide. The government had started disconnecting high-speed internet in some provinces earlier this month to curb what it describes as “vice,” under the orders of leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Last night, internet and mobile signals were drastically weakened, leaving less than 1% of regular connectivity. As a result, Afghans cannot reach loved ones, online commerce is halted, banking activities have come to a standstill, and remittances from abroad cannot reach families in need.
All flights at Kabul’s airport were halted Tuesday, witnesses reported to AFP. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed concern, stating, “The access restrictions have virtually isolated Afghanistan from the global community and pose serious risks, including destabilizing the economy and worsening one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.” It added, “The blackout further suppresses access to information and limits freedom of expression in Afghanistan.”
This marks the first time since the Taliban seized control in 2021 that communications have been cut off entirely in the country. Najibullah, a 42-year-old shop owner in Kabul, shared, “We’re completely in the dark without phones and internet. Our whole business depends on mobile devices. Deliveries are disrupted, and the market is dead—all of us are just staying home.”
The telecommunications ministry declined to allow journalists into their Kabul facility on Tuesday. Before the shutdown, a government official told AFP that around 8,000 to 9,000 telecom towers would be shut down, with the move expected to last indefinitely. The official warned that the disruption would impact the banking sector, customs, and other national systems.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that most mobile networks are offline. A UN official added that operations are gravely impacted, relying on radio and limited satellite links. Internet connections over fiber optic lines, which are often shared with telephone services, have been sluggish or unreliable over recent weeks.
On September 16, Balkh provincial spokesperson Attaullah Zaid stated the shutdown was ordered by Taliban leadership, claiming it was intended to block “vice” and that alternative ways to meet connectivity needs would be explored across the country. Reports from AFP indicated similar restrictions in northern provinces like Badakhshan and Takhar, along with southern regions such as Kandahar, Helmand, Nangarhar, and Uruzgan.
Despite warnings about the economic fallout, Taliban leaders reportedly insisted on proceeding with the nationwide shutdown. Cybersecurity watchdog Netblocks noted that the blackout appeared to be an intentional disconnection, with connectivity plummeting below 1% and no signs of recovery. Previously, Kabul promoted its 9,350-kilometer fiber optic network—primarily established under U.S.-supported governments—as a tool for national progress and poverty reduction.
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