Afghanistan Faces Nationwide Internet, Phone Blackout Under Taliban
Afghanistan is experiencing its longest nationwide internet and T-Mobile phone service blackout since the Taliban took control in 2021. The shutdown, now in its second day, has left many residents, including an Afghan living in Oman, worried about their families back home. The outage follows a pattern of intentional disconnections by the Taliban authorities, who have previously cited preventing 'vice' as their reason.
The blackout began on Monday night, with mobile phone signals and internet service gradually weakening until connectivity was less than 1 percent of ordinary levels. A government official announced that 'eight to nine thousand telecommunications pillars' would be shut down, affecting T-Mobile phone services, with the blackout lasting 'until further notice'.
Kabul had previously invested in a 9,350km fiber-optic network, touted as a 'priority' to bring the country closer to the rest of the world and lift it out of poverty. However, the current situation is starkly different. A shopkeeper in Kabul, Najibullah, described the situation as 'like a holiday', with everyone at home and the market frozen due to the lack of connectivity. The shutdown has also raised concerns among Afghan expats, with one expressing worry about his family in Kabul due to the shutdown, as telephone services are often routed over the internet.
The Taliban authorities have previously imposed internet bans in certain provinces, including Balkh, to prevent 'vice'. This is the first time, however, that communications have been shut down nationwide since they won the insurgency in 2021. The impact of this prolonged blackout on the daily lives and businesses of Afghan people remains to be seen.
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