Afghanistan restores mobile and internet services after two-day outage

Mobile and internet services were restored across Afghanistan on Wednesday evening after a two-day nationwide blackout.

The Taliban government shut down telecommunications across Afghanistan on Monday night without prior notice, leaving businesses, schools, and daily communication frozen. Internet monitoring group Net Blocks confirmed that the blackout was a deliberate move, reducing connectivity to less than one percent of normal levels. The suspension marked the first nationwide communications shutdown since the Taliban took power in 2021.

By Tuesday night, signals and Wi-Fi were gradually restored in Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, Ghazni, and Herat. Residents celebrated the return of connectivity by honking car horns, buying sweets and balloons, and gathering in the streets. Many expressed relief, saying the city had come back to life after hours of complete silence.

During the shutdown, people described daily life as paralyzed. Shopkeepers reported that businesses relying on mobile phones and online services came to a standstill. Deliveries were halted, markets froze, and essential sectors such as banking and customs were severely disrupted. A government official revealed that nearly nine thousand telecommunications pillars were shut down, cutting the fibre optic network that powers both internet and mobile services. The United Nations strongly condemned the blackout, calling it an act that cut Afghanistan off from the world.

Despite warnings from officials about possible economic harm, Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered the blackout, reportedly to curb vice. While services have been restored in major cities, uncertainty remains over whether more bans could follow.