• The reported order covers new routes, connections, rerouting, installation, maintenance and repairs and applies to Afghan Telecom and private operators
  • Afghanistan had added 851km of fibre over the previous year, while the ministry has not explained why the work is now being stopped

The fact

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has told Afghan Telecom and private operators to stop work on fibre-optic networks until further notice, according to Afghanistan International, which said it obtained the directive. The order, dated 27 August, reportedly covers new routes, connections, relocation and installation, as well as maintenance and repairs.

Afghan Wireless, Roshan, Etisalat and Afghan Telecom are among the companies named in the directive. The Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority and provincial telecom departments were also told to oversee compliance. The ministry has not publicly explained the decision, and the order does not call for existing internet services to be switched off.

The move comes shortly after the government reported further expansion of the national fibre network. On 9 August, officials said 851 kilometres of fibre had been added over the previous year.

The assessment

The order matters most if it is applied to maintenance and repairs. A pause in new routes slows expansion, but a damaged live fibre path normally has to be spliced, replaced or bypassed. Without a repair exemption, operators could have less room to restore service quickly when a cable is cut or a route fails.

So far, there is no evidence that the directive has caused service degradation. Operators may have alternative paths, and authorities may still allow urgent work. The unresolved question is whether engineers can act immediately when a fault occurs or must first obtain permission.

For BTW readers, the clearest evidence will come from how operators handle the first publicly documented fault under the order. Repair times, rerouting decisions and any emergency approvals will show whether the restriction is affecting normal network operations or mainly freezing further expansion.

What to watch

Watch for a public clarification from the ministry or ATRA, especially any exemption for emergency repairs. Operator notices, reported fibre faults and restoration times will show how broadly the directive is being enforced. Permission to resume maintenance, rerouting or new connections would narrow its operational effect even if the wider expansion ban remains.