Sources have confirmed to TOLOnews that fiber optic internet services have been cut off in Nangarhar province, following earlier shutdowns in Kunduz, Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan, Laghman, Kandahar, and Helmand.

In response to the suspension of fiber optic services in several provinces, Zalmay Khalilzad said this decision harms not only the economy but also the overall future outlook of the country.

The former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Peace wrote: “It will damage not only the province’s economy but the country’s prospects as a whole.  This decision will undermine investment and development.”

Janat Faheem Chakari, former head of Afghan Telecom, said: “We have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on fiber optics. Through this network, we are connected to the entire world. Fiber optic has unlimited capacity, and its internet is both cheap and fast.”

Some experts believe fiber optics could serve as a key infrastructure for the growth of Afghanistan’s digital economy.

Its major uses include:

Online trade, electronic banking, and virtual education

Creating job opportunities in the technology sector

Reducing internet costs and expanding digital services to rural areas

Shakir Yaqubi, an economic analyst, said: “Fiber optic services played a vital role in facilitating commercial communications. In operational management, especially in banking, it was a key enabler. It also provided many conveniences in education, as many people were engaged in online learning through these services.”

Afghanistan’s fiber optic network is connected to regional networks through seven points, and by November 2024, more than 9,000 kilometers of cable had been installed across the country.

The project, launched in 2007, was designed to improve high-speed internet services, expand telephone communications, reduce costs, and increase regional connectivity.