Kathmandu. Taliban authorities have indefinitely shut down nationwide internet services in Afghanistan. More than 40 million people have been cut off from global communications by the draconian move, reducing the country’s connectivity to less than 1 percent of normal levels, according to internet watchdog group Netblocks.
The strike, which began at 5:45 p.m. local time on September 29, 2025, is the most extensive and coordinated telecommunications blockade since the Taliban seized power in 2021. Taliban authorities have cut off fibre-optic connections and telecommunications services.
Authorities have described the shutdown as part of an ethics standard to prevent unethical activities, although there is no clarity on what exactly constitutes immoral activity.
The nationwide internet shutdown has crippled banking services, customs, media outlets and essential communications across the country. Mobile and phone networks dependent on fibre lines have also been badly affected.
The most serious consequences are for Afghan women. With their access to schools and public places restricted, the Internet became their primary means of education and communication with the world.
The move has drawn strong condemnation from the international community and warned that prolonged isolation could deepen Afghanistan’s humanitarian and economic crisis. The Taliban said the shutdown would continue until further notice.
Afghanistan’s indefinite internet blackout is not only a violation of citizens’ fundamental communication rights, but also an inhumane act that completely disconnects the country from the world and escalates the crisis. This is sure to further complicate the lives of ordinary citizens and women in particular.
