Connectivity Restored: Afghan Telecom Returns After Unexpected Outage

Cell phone and internet services in Afghanistan came back online two days after being cut off, reportedly by Taliban order. The outage disrupted financial transactions, trade, and online education, particularly affecting women and girls. The reason for the outage and restoration remains unclear.

After a sudden disruption attributed to orders from the Taliban administration, cell phone and internet services in Afghanistan were restored on Wednesday, locals confirmed. The services, primarily from Roshan and Etisalat, resumed in Kabul and other cities.

Despite the resumption of services, the Taliban administration did not clarify the cause for the outage nor for their reestablishment. A Taliban source cited technical issues for the disruption, though this information remains unverified as no officials were available for detailed comments.

The outage, commencing on Monday, sparked widespread chaos, particularly impacting financial transactions and online education for Afghan women and girls barred from formal schools. The UN had urged for a return to connectivity amidst this critical disruption.

(With inputs from agencies.)