Summary
The Taliban has denied that it imposed a nationwide internet ban in Afghanistan, attributing recent internet outages to old fibre-optic cables needing replacement. Despite the denial, there have been reports of internet service cuts in various regions and an ongoing communication blackout affecting diverse sectors.
Key Facts
- The Taliban denied imposing a nationwide internet ban in Afghanistan.
- They blamed old fibre-optic cables for recent internet outages.
- A global internet watchdog, Netblocks, reported a "total internet blackout" in Afghanistan.
- Taliban has previously restricted internet services in some areas to prevent "immorality."
- In September, the Balkh province completely banned fibre-optic internet.
- The Afghan government noted plans to shut down parts of the fibre-optic network.
- The communication blackout impacts personal use and sectors like aviation and banking.
