Taliban Restores Internet Access in Afghanistan After Public Outcry

Afghans have taken to the streets to celebrate the restoration of internet and telecommunication services, following a temporary shutdown enforced by the Taliban administration.

Local journalists have confirmed that communication services are back to normal, while internet monitor Netblocks reported network data showing a “partial restoration” of connectivity across the country.

Sources close to the government informed BBC Afghan that the internet service was reinstated following an order from the Taliban’s prime minister.

The internet outage had severely disrupted business activities and flights, restricted access to essential emergency services, and intensified fears about the growing isolation of women and girls, whose rights have been systematically eroded since the Taliban regained power in 2021.

‘We just sit at home, doing nothing’

In recent weeks, the Taliban had been disconnecting fiber optic networks in several provinces, citing the prevention of “immorality” as the reason. However, for many citizens, this decision was seen as merely a prelude to a complete shutdown.

These fears materialized last Tuesday, October 30th. For 48 hours, Afghanistan experienced a “total internet blackout” that crippled vital services, as reported by internet monitoring group Netblocks.

International media outlets reported losing contact with their offices in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Mobile internet and satellite TV services were also disrupted nationwide. Even flights from Kabul airport were affected, according to local media reports.

Prior to the total disconnection, the BBC spoke to several citizens in various provinces who had already felt the impact of the initial disconnections.

“Previously, I studied midwifery, but unfortunately, that is now forbidden for women… The only hope left was the internet and online learning,” said a woman from Tahkar Province who requested to be identified as Shakiba.

“We want to learn, we want an education, and we want to be able to help people. But as soon as we heard the internet was cut off, the world suddenly went dark.”

Fahima Noori echoed this sentiment, describing her situation as “helpless.”

“My two younger siblings and I attend online university. We used to stay updated on news and technology through the internet, but now we can’t find information or learn new skills,” said the student living in eastern Afghanistan.

“We once dreamed of completing our education and helping our father financially, but now… we just sit at home, doing nothing.”

Fahima Noori had grand dreams after graduating from an Afghan university. She had studied law, completed a midwifery program, and even worked in a mental health clinic. However, all of these aspirations vanished after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

The fundamentalist Islamic group banned girls over the age of 12 from attending school, significantly narrowed employment opportunities for women, and more recently, removed books written by women from universities.

This series of events has profoundly complicated Fahima’s life. She had found a glimmer of hope through the internet, which allowed her to stay connected with the outside world.

“I had just enrolled in an online university. My hope was to complete my studies and find online work,” Fahima stated.

But her hopes were shattered last Tuesday, October 30th, when the Taliban officially cut off internet access nationwide indefinitely. “[Initially] our last hope was to study online, but now even that has been destroyed,” Fahima lamented.

Fahima’s name, along with those of other interviewees in this article, has been changed for safety reasons.

Ban after Ban

Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has imposed various stringent rules based on their interpretation of Sharia law.

Earlier this month, the Taliban banned books authored by women that originated from the country’s university education system, as part of new regulations that also prohibit the teaching of human rights and sexual harassment.

Approximately 140 books by Afghan women, including Safety in the Chemical Laboratory, were deemed “problematic” for being “contrary to Sharia and Taliban policy,” according to the group’s statement.

The Taliban government claims to uphold women’s rights, but only those consistent with their specific interpretation of Afghan culture and Islamic law.

The internet cutoff by the Taliban did not only affect female students. An English teacher identified as Zabi has also lost his livelihood.

Zabi, formerly a journalist in Pakistan, found no similar job opportunities upon returning to Afghanistan. He then established an English language course center. After the Taliban government restricted educational institutions, he transitioned to teaching online.

“One class could have 70–80 people, men and women. They were all preparing for IELTS. Everything depended on the internet, from research, practice, official exams, and so on,” Zabi explained.

Zabi, who resides in eastern Afghanistan, added that there are no IELTS centers in the country. Consequently, the only way to pursue such certification was through online classes.

“Two days ago, about 45 of my students were taking an exam when the internet suddenly went out. They had prepared for months, but that opportunity was lost just like that. My heart broke seeing it,” Zabi recounted.

He admitted to continuously receiving calls from his confused students, unsure of what to do. “They keep calling me, asking, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ For male students, there are still some English language centers open. However, for female students, this was their last chance, and now even that is gone.”

Before the complete shutdown on Monday, October 29th, some citizens interviewed told the BBC that using mobile data was still an option—though it was prohibitively expensive for most, and the connection was unstable. A monthly package of 100 gigabytes could cost 3,500 Afghani, roughly equivalent to Rp830,000.

In comparison, Wi-Fi previously cost around 1,000 Afghani per month—a cost that could be shared among several students. According to a prior UNDP report, Afghanistan’s per capita income in 2024 is projected to be only around Rp5.1 million.

Zabi stated that he might have to leave Afghanistan if the internet is not restored, mentioning that he has no other way to earn a living. The Taliban has yet to provide an official reason for the outage. They only briefly mentioned providing alternative routes for internet access, without offering further details.

A money exchange businessman in Takhar province, identified as Anas, said his business faced “huge problems” since the internet was cut off, as most of his work relies on the network. “Our business is affected by about 90%,” he stated. “Yesterday, my brother, who is also a business partner, tried to send an email to a client. It couldn’t be sent.”

However, his primary concern was the fate of his three daughters, who attend online classes. “The night before, we heard the Taliban cut off the internet in Mazar, and my eldest daughter came crying, saying she was afraid the same thing would happen here,” Anas said. “Their last chance to learn is now gone. Seeing my children helpless… [that is] the hardest thing for me. Now, only God knows what will happen to me and to them.”

Airport Also Paralyzed

The internet outage also impacted transportation. Kabul International Airport nearly ground to a halt following the disconnection.

One resident described the airport as “almost empty,” with no planes arriving or departing. Flight monitoring website Flightradar24 recorded several canceled flights in and out of Kabul, with others listed as “unknown.”

A passenger scheduled to fly last Tuesday was informed that flights might not resume until Thursday at the earliest. A Kabul resident reported that all flights since Monday night had been canceled.

He also noted that life in the city “looked normal, but communication was completely cut off.”

The UN Mission in Afghanistan urged the Taliban to immediately restore internet and telecommunication access. “This cutoff leaves Afghanistan almost completely isolated from the outside world and risks significant impacts for the Afghan people, including threatening economic stability and exacerbating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises,” the statement read.

‘We are Blind Without Internet’

In recent weeks, the Taliban government had been progressively disconnecting fiber optic internet networks in several provinces. Initially, these disconnections affected only certain regions, without immediately impacting Kabul. Residents in the capital only felt the full effect on Monday.

Several individuals told the BBC that their fiber optic connections ceased functioning towards the end of the workday, around 5:00 PM local time (12:30 GMT). By Tuesday morning, many citizens across the country awoke to find essential services completely paralyzed.

Najibullah, a 42-year-old trader in Kabul, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that residents felt “blind without phones and the internet.” “All our business depends on mobile phones. Deliveries also use mobile phones. It feels like a holiday; everyone is just at home. The market is completely frozen,” he explained.

Another Kabul resident, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that banks in the capital were still open, but queues stretched long as many people sought to withdraw money. The problem, however, was that “very little cash” could be disbursed.

Meanwhile, a money changer in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, reported that all banks in his region were closed, preventing him from processing any payments.

Diplomatic officials had previously warned the BBC that this internet outage could potentially disrupt the banking and e-commerce systems nationwide. International media also reported losing contact with their Kabul offices. Mobile internet and satellite television broadcasts in various areas were severely disrupted.

Tolo News, a private Afghan news channel, urged the public to follow updates on their social media pages, as they anticipated similar disruptions to television and radio broadcasts. A journalist in Kabul told the BBC that they could not even make calls or contact sources for interviews, forcing them to send camera crews directly to interviewees’ homes. “We have never experienced anything like this,” he added.

Total Blackout

Netblocks characterized the situation as a “total internet blackout” implemented gradually by the Taliban. A Taliban official in Balkh had previously cited the disconnection of fiber optic internet as a measure to “prevent crime,” without elaborating further details.

As of now, the official reason for this national blackout remains unclear. This disconnection represents the latest restriction since the Taliban’s return to power. With formal education access blocked, many women had placed their hopes on online classes. However, even that path has now been extinguished.

“When I heard the internet was cut, the world felt dark,” a female student concluded to the BBC.

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