Kabul: The Taliban have ordered a nationwide shutdown of communications, cutting off internet and telecom services across Afghanistan. Beginning this week, the connectivity collapsed to less than one per cent of normal levels, according to Netblocks, a global internet watchdog, which said the shutdown amounted to "a comprehensive, or total blackout."
The blackout comes after weeks of restrictions. On September 16, Balkh provincial spokesman Attaullah Zaid announced a complete ban on fibre optic services in the north, saying it was ordered "to prevent vice."
While the sweeping blackout has left essential services in limbo, the Taliban government rejected reports of a nationwide internet ban, saying old fiber optic cables are worn out and are being replaced, the Associated Press reported.
Afghanistan’s 9,350-kilometre fibre optic network -- largely built under former US-backed governments -- had been a lifeline to integrate the country with the economy.
