Internet Connectivity Issues in Afghanistan: Recent Developments
Confusion regarding internet connectivity in Afghanistan has arisen following a network restoration on Wednesday, ending a blackout that started on Monday. Initial reports from the Associated Press suggested that the Taliban had denied claims of a deliberate blackout, stating instead that outdated fibre optic cables were undergoing replacement. However, this information was later determined to be inaccurate.
The Taliban typically communicate through a WhatsApp group with certain Pakistani journalists. The erroneous statement was circulated as a private message within this group but was not officially shared. The source of the message was an Afghan user mimicking the name of the group’s official handle, but they have since vanished and their identity remains unknown. A similar statement appeared on social media, attributed to a Taliban supporter rather than the Taliban itself. Due to the internet outage, contacting the Taliban’s spokesperson for clarity on the fibre optic repairs was impossible.
Late on Wednesday, after a significant gap, the Taliban’s WhatsApp group acknowledged the internet outage, indicating that mobile services were being progressively restored. This statement was confirmed genuine by group administrators, citing telecommunications officials who assured that teams were actively working to restore connections.
The internet advocacy group Netblocks also reported the partial restoration of services in Afghanistan after a two-day blackout, which had widespread implications on banking, commerce, and aviation. Many institutions faced operational disruption, prompting the Afghan airline Kam Air to announce a resumption of flights to Kabul after halting operations due to the outage.
Aid organisations expressed grave concerns over the blackout’s impact on their operations, urging authorities to prioritise the restoration of communications. Save the Children emphasised the necessity of reliable communication for delivering critical assistance and coordinating with partner organisations. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric indicated that the Taliban had implemented the communication cuts without clarity or explanation, and their reversal also occurred without adequate justification.
The communications disruption has not only threatened economic stability but has also severely affected the rights of Afghan women, girls, and the general population’s freedom of expression. The UN noted that the nearly 48-hour outage appeared to have ended, with services being restored across the nation, albeit with ongoing concerns about the broader implications of such connectivity disruptions.