RASC News Agency: Afghanistan’s telecommunications sector has plunged into a state of crisis, leaving citizens frustrated and outraged. Rather than providing transparent and high-quality services, telecom networks now operating in direct collaboration with the Taliban have systematically engaged in financial exploitation. One of the most pressing concerns is the deterioration of internet services. Connection speeds have plummeted, and even in major cities, users endure constant disruptions, unbearably slow speeds, and severe network failures. Despite this, the cost of internet packages has surged to exorbitant levels, making basic connectivity a luxury rather than a necessity.
Leila, a resident of Kabul, expressed her frustration to RASC News Agency:
“Telecom internet services have lost all standards. Either the speed is so slow that it is practically unusable, or the connection drops unexpectedly. Yet, package prices rise daily, with no improvement in quality.” A primary scheme employed by telecom companies is the unexplained depletion of mobile credit. Users report their balances mysteriously disappearing without any usage. Shafiq, a resident of Herat, shared his experience:
“I have recharged my mobile credit multiple times, yet within an hour without making a single call or using the internet my balance vanished. When I contacted customer service, they failed to provide any logical explanation for this blatant theft.”
Beyond financial exploitation, telecom networks are also accused of illegally sharing users’ personal data and locations with the Taliban. Reliable sources confirm that telecom companies, in direct cooperation with the Taliban, provide location data of individuals expressing even the slightest dissent, endangering lives and facilitating widespread arrests and suppression. Another major grievance is the automatic deduction of a 10% tax every time users recharge their mobile credit. This non-transparent financial drain lacks accountability, with no official clarification on how the funds are allocated. Nader, another telecom user, voiced his frustration to RASC News Agency:
“Every time we add mobile credit, 10% is deducted without explanation. No authority is accountable for why this amount is taken or where it is spent. People are outraged, but our voices are ignored.”
Investigations reveal that Afghanistani telecom networks systematically exploit citizens through multiple tactics:
Unjustified price hikes on internet packages: Rising costs despite declining service quality.
Unexplained mobile credit depletion: Balances vanishing without usage.
Non-transparent 10% tax deductions: Automatic reductions without accountability.
Deliberate network blackouts: Service disruptions, particularly at night, coercing users into purchasing costlier packages.
Direct collaboration with the Taliban: Unlawful sharing of user data, facilitating persecution.
Telecommunications and digital security experts warn that this crisis serves both financial and political agendas. A telecommunications specialist, who requested anonymity, told RASC News Agency:
“Telecom companies are no longer mere service providers; they have become instruments of the Taliban’s financial extortion and political repression. On one hand, they exploit citizens through predatory pricing, and on the other, they hand over users’ information, enabling the Taliban’s crackdown on dissenters.”
The current state of Afghanistan’s telecom sector reflects a deepening economic and security crisis that directly impacts daily life. Soaring internet costs, systematic mobile credit theft, opaque tax deductions, deliberate network disruptions, and the telecom sector’s alignment with the Taliban have plunged Afghanistani citizens into financial and digital oppression.
