Afghanistan Faces Total Internet Blackout as Taliban Cuts Off Online Lifeline for Students and Businesses
Fahima Noori once dreamed of building a promising career in Afghanistan. A graduate in law and midwifery, she had also worked in a mental health clinic, determined to use her education to make a difference. But since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, those dreams have slowly unraveled.
First, the Taliban banned girls over the age of 12 from attending school. Then, job opportunities for women were severely restricted. Most recently, books authored by women were removed from universities. For Fahima, the only hope that remained was the internet.
“I recently enrolled in an online university and hoped to finish my studies to find remote work,” she said.
That hope ended on Tuesday when the Taliban imposed a nationwide internet shutdown, leaving the country in what watchdog group NetBlocks described as a “total internet blackout.”
“Our last hope was online learning. Now even that dream has been destroyed,” said Fahima, whose identity has been changed for safety.
A Complete Cut from the World
In recent weeks, the Taliban had been gradually severing fiber-optic connections in different provinces, claiming it was necessary to curb “immorality.” Many feared this was only the beginning, and on Tuesday their fears were confirmed.
The blackout has disrupted not only education but also essential services. International media outlets report losing contact with offices in Kabul. Flights from the capital’s airport have faced disruption, while mobile internet and satellite TV services have also collapsed.
For students like Shakiba, from the northern province of Takhar, the shutdown has extinguished their last source of education.
“Before this, I studied midwifery, but that program was banned for women. The internet was our only hope for continuing education,” she said. “When I heard the internet had been cut, the world felt dark to me.”
Fahima echoed this despair: “My sisters and I studied online. We followed global news and technology trends. Now, we sit at home doing nothing.”
Education Under Siege
Since reclaiming power, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions under their interpretation of Sharia law. Earlier this month, they banned university courses on human rights and sexual harassment, while removing 140 books by female authors. Titles such as Safety in the Chemical Laboratory were deemed “anti-Sharia.”
The Taliban insist they respect women’s rights “in line with Afghan culture and Islamic law.” Yet, for many Afghans, the internet was the only remaining space for learning, free speech, and connection with the outside world.
Teachers and Students Left Stranded
The ban has devastated teachers like Zabi, who depended on online platforms to earn a living. Formerly a journalist in Pakistan, he had returned to Afghanistan and opened an English-language center. When restrictions forced him to move classes online, he adapted, teaching 70–80 students at a time, including women preparing for IELTS exams.
“Two days ago, about 45 of my students were in the middle of an exam when the internet was cut off. They had been preparing for months, but the opportunity vanished. It was heartbreaking for them—and for me,” he said.
He now receives constant calls from students asking what they should do. For male learners, some in-person centers remain open. For women, however, the blackout has ended their final path to education.
Too Expensive to Stay Connected
Although mobile data remains an option in some regions, it is largely unaffordable. A monthly package with 100GB of data costs 3,500 Afghanis (around $50)—an enormous expense in a country where the average annual income was just $306 in 2024, according to the UNDP.
By comparison, home WiFi previously cost around 1,000 Afghanis a month and could be shared among several families or students.
Zabi fears he may be forced to leave Afghanistan if connectivity is not restored. “I have no other way of earning a living,” he said.
Families and Businesses Paralyzed
The blackout is not only an educational crisis—it is also crippling Afghanistan’s economy. Anas, a money changer in Takhar province, says his business has collapsed by 90%.
“Our work depends heavily on email and online transfers. Yesterday, my brother couldn’t even send a single email to a client,” he said.
His greatest concern, however, is his daughters, who had been taking online classes. “The night before the blackout, my eldest daughter cried, fearing it would happen here. Now their last opportunity to study is gone. Watching their helplessness was the hardest part for me.”
What Comes Next?
The Taliban have not provided an official explanation for the shutdown, beyond vague promises of “alternative routes” for internet access. So far, no details have been offered.
For many Afghans, the blackout symbolizes more than just the loss of connectivity. It represents the steady dismantling of their last freedoms—education, work, and communication with the outside world.
With universities stripped of women’s books, schools closed to girls, and teachers unable to work, an entire generation faces the prospect of being left behind.
As Fahima put it simply: “We dreamed of finishing our education and helping our family. Now, all we can do is sit at home, doing nothing.”