The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has begun shutting down fiber-optic internet services in certain parts of the country, in what officials describe as a measure to prevent “immorality.”
Local media reported the suspensions have already taken place in Balkh, Kunduz, Baghlan, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces, with further disruption confirmed in Laghman, Kandahar and Helmand.
On Tuesday, Balkh provincial spokesman Haji Attaullah Zaid announced that a complete ban on fiber-optic cables had been imposed in the northern province.
“All internet access through this cable was disconnected after the ban,” he said, claiming the decision was intended to stop immoral acts in Afghan society.
Zaid added that alternative routes would be established to meet essential needs, though details of these alternatives remain unclear amid growing disruption for ordinary Afghans.
On Thursday, officials confirmed that additional provinces including Nangarhar had also lost access, indicating the shutdown was spreading beyond initial northern provinces into eastern Afghanistan as well.
Siddiqullah Quraishi, from the Nangarhar Culture Directorate, confirmed the blackout to the Associated Press, while Kunduz officials also issued messages about the shutdown through official communication channels.
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The measure leaves government offices, private companies, institutions, and households without Wi-Fi connections, forcing reliance on mobile data which remains functional but often costly and unreliable.
Interim Higher Education Minister Neda Mohammad Nadim defended the move, arguing that despite technological benefits, “the problems and corruptions of social networks, the internet and mobile phones are very high.”
It marks the first nationwide attempt by the IEA to impose such restrictions on fiber-optic access since regaining power in Kabul in August 2021.
The foreign-based Afghanistan Media Support Organization condemned the shutdown, warning that millions of citizens were being denied access to free information and vital services critical to their daily lives.
“This action, carried out on the orders of the Taliban’s leader, not only disrupts essential services but also poses a grave threat to freedom of expression,” it said.
Afghanistan’s limited media outlets have voiced similar concerns, noting that journalists are particularly affected as internet access is crucial for communication, research and publishing under restricted conditions.
Experts warn the blackout could isolate Afghans further from global communication and hinder humanitarian efforts that often rely on reliable internet infrastructure for coordination and logistics.
Last year, a spokesman for the Communications Ministry told TOLO News that Afghanistan had a fiber-optic network of more than 1,800 kilometers, with expansion plans already underway.
Most Afghan provinces had access to fiber-optic services until this latest decision, which many fear could set back connectivity by decades at a time of urgent need.
For now, Afghans in affected provinces are forced to depend on costly mobile internet, while the administration insists its ban will remain in place to enforce morality.
