Date: 15/07/1404
Sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban have cut off fiber-optic internet services in Kandahar for the second time within one week. Internet service providers in the province informed customers that all fiber-optic services were suspended on the orders of the Taliban leader and would remain offline until further notice.

Earlier, the Taliban had also shut down internet and telecommunications networks nationwide for two days between 7 and 30 Mizan. Sources within the Taliban’s Ministry of Communications and ATRA previously stated that the objective of these measures was to completely disable fiber-optic internet services across the country.

The shutdown severely disrupted administrative and economic activities, including banking services, customs operations, airlines, currency exchanges, online businesses, and virtual education. Online classes were suspended, Pakistan temporarily halted visa services, and the Torkham border crossing was closed. The move triggered widespread public anger and was condemned by international organizations and civil society activists. Taliban officials have not issued an official explanation.

The repeated shutdown of fiber-optic internet services in Kandahar underscores the Taliban’s increasing reliance on digital infrastructure control as a mechanism of governance and repression. Unlike temporary technical outages, the suspension was reportedly ordered at the highest level and framed as part of a broader plan to eliminate fiber-optic connectivity nationwide. By disabling stable, high-capacity internet, the Taliban significantly impair economic activity, public administration, education, and cross-border mobility, while retaining coercive leverage over information flows. The recurrence of these shutdowns within a short period suggests an institutionalization of internet blackouts as a tool for enforcing compliance, suppressing dissent, and narrowing civic and digital space across Afghanistan.