The Taliban commented on the communications blackout for the first time as the disruption to everything from banking to travel and businesses to aid work entered a third day.

Afghanistan woke up to a total internet blackout on Tuesday after the ruling Taliban vowed to cut off access as part of a crackdown on “immoral activities,” sparking fears of further isolation for millions living under their increasingly harsh rule.

The Taliban government has rejected reports of a nationwide internet ban in Afghanistan, saying old fiber optic cables are worn out and being replaced

The blackout has affected essentially all wireless internet connections, mobile internet, and telephone services. News outlets have reported disruptions to banking services, hospitals, businesses, government offices, news organizations, education, airports, and visa issuances in a country of roughly 43 million people.

The shutdown came two weeks after the ruling Taliban cut off the internet in half a dozen provinces, saying they wanted to prevent “immoral acts.”

Mobile networks returned to several provinces across Afghanistan on Wednesday, including the capital Kabul, 48 hours after the Taliban authorities shut down telecommunications.AFP journalists reported on Wednesday that mobile phone signals and wifi had returned to provinces across the country,

For Fahima, the internet was her last lifeline to the outside world. "I recently enrolled in an online university [and] I had hoped to finish my studies and find an online job," she said. On Tuesday, that lifeline was cut off when the Taliban imposed a nationwide internet shutdown that is set to last indefinitely.