Taliban Blames Aging Fiber-Optic Cables for Nationwide Internet Outage

DID Press: Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban government, has cited the deterioration of fiber-optic cables as the cause of Afghanistan’s ongoing nationwide internet blackout, dismissing rumors that the shutdown is a deliberate ban.

Since Monday evening, internet users across the country have faced a complete disruption of services, affecting daily life, businesses, and international communications.

Mujahid confirmed the outage, stating, “Old fiber-optic cables have worn out and are being replaced.” He denied any government-imposed ban on internet access.

Despite these explanations, the widespread outage continues. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported that multiple networks across Afghanistan are offline, and telephone services are also disrupted. With a population of approximately 43 million, the blackout is having broad effects on the public.

The Taliban has not issued an official statement on the matter. However, The Washington Post cited a diplomat reporting that the group notified some foreign entities that services would remain offline until further notice, without prior public communication.

The blackout has sparked widespread reactions from citizens and civil society organizations. The group “NE in Exile” described the shutdown as a “major betrayal,” and analysts have warned of political, social, and economic consequences.

Experts suggest multiple reasons behind the internet blackout, including Taliban concerns over potential uprisings, information control, internal leadership disputes, and the Haqqani network’s influence. Previously, the Taliban had restricted high-speed internet access in government offices, citing “prevention of misuse” by employees.

Some analysts believe the move may be part of the Taliban’s strategy to operate covertly, maintain internal security, or reflect power struggles among different factions within the group.