THE STATE of TELECOMMUNICATIONS and INTERNET in AFGHANISTAN at a GLANCE by Javid Hamdard
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THE STATE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INTERNET IN AFGHANISTAN AT A GLANCE By Javid Hamdard OVERVIEW Just ten years ago Kabul, Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar and to the early days has also caused Afghanistan had a barely functional post- Mazar. These services are also available continuous decline in the prices of war infrastructure and literally no telecom along all major highways and main road telecom services. While the SIM card services. Afghans had to travel to the systems across the country. Rural access alone was sold for more than 250 USD neighboring countries to make a phone to telecom services is set as the top back in 2003 today a SIM card from all ĐĂůů͘^ŝŶĐĞŝƚ͛Ɛre-birth in its modern form priority for the sector and is also quickly these companies is available for less than in April 2002, when the first private expanding. a dollar and the local calling cost using a telecom company -- Afghan Wireless mobile telephone has already fallen more Communications Company (AWCC) -- was than 500% from 18 Afs (0.36 USD) per authorized to provide mobile (GSM) minute to 3 Afs (0.06 USD). The services, the telecom sector in international calling tariff has also Afghanistan has witnessed an reduced from 100 Afs (2 USD) per minute unprecedented and phenomenal growth. to an average of 20 Afs (0.40 USD), these TELECOMMUNICATIONS spurred by the prices are even lower using the fixed-line With progress and development in all expansion of mobile (GSM) services, there and CDMA services provided by the state four dimensions including Infrastructure, are more than 18.27 million active owned Afghan-Telecom and Wasel- Services, Policy and Legal and Regulatory telephone subscribers (Mobile, CDMA and Telecom. Framework, telecom is the second biggest Fixed-line) compared to only 20,000 at the revenue generating sector in the country Building an adequate country-wide end of 2002. Including the fixed line state with over 123.76 million USD in annual telecom infrastructure as the foremost carrier Afghan-Telecom, the local fixed- revenues accounting for more than 12% requirement for the growth and line service provider (LFSP) Wasel- of total government revenues (MCIT; MoF expansion of the telecom services has Telecom and four Mobile (GSM) operators 2011). Despite numerous challenges, been a top priority for the sector since AWCC, Roshan, MTN and Etisalat there namely the deteriorating security 2002. Infrastructure accounts for the are now six active telecom service situation in the country, the telecom majority of the 1.7 billion USD in operators providing a wide range of sector has been able to attract over 1.7 investment. Major infrastructure telecom services ranging from fixed line billion USD in private investment and has development projects include: the and wireless fixed line (CDMA) voice and generated more than 110,000 direct and establishment of the mostly mobile (GSM) data services to mobile (GSM) based indirect employment opportunities operators-sponsored country-wide voice, SMS and GPRS (Mobile internet) throughout the country. microwave network of more than 4,250 services. telecom base stations (BTS sites) as the With service coverage to more than 86% The growing competition in the Afghan main backbone for mobile (GMS) services ŽĨƚŚĞĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ͛ƐƚŽƚĂůƉŽƉƵůĂƚŝŽŶ and 67% telecom market for providing better and and wireless connectivity; and the population penetration, telecom services cheaper services especially among the 4 ongoing implementation of the 130 are available in all 34 provincial capitals Mobile (GMS) operators, in addition to million USD World Bank and Afghan and most of the principal cities including the improved quality of service compared Government funded 4619 km national 1 THE STATE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INTERNET IN AFGHANISTAN AT A GLANCE; BY JAVID HAMDARD. fiber optic backbone project which Cyber. Services provided by most of these communications, the MCIT has decided to connects 23 provincial capitals, several ISPs include satellite-based VSAT issue 3G and Wimax licenses to the principal cities (including Kabul, Herat, solutions, Microware, Wi-Fi, and dial-up existing GSM operators and ISPs and Jalalabad, Kandahar and Mazar), and and a couple of them also provide Wimax. expects these services to be available by connects Afghanistan to Iran, Pakistan, mid 2012. The state owned Afghan-Telecom with a Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. unique and competitive advantage of CONCLUSION Despite the phenomenal As of mid-2011 more than 2678km of the having at its disposal all state owned growth and major achievements, the total 3131km of the first phase national telecom infrastructure and services fluctuating security situation and the fiber ŽƉƚŝĐ ƌŝŶŐ ĂůŽŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ͛Ɛ ŵĂŝŶ including the 2687km operational fiber ongoing insurgency are the biggest road system is being completed, and more optic backbone is quickly emerging as the challenges to the general development, than 50% of the ring including largest national ISP in the country, growth and expansion of the telecom connectivity with the neighbouring Iran, providing wholesale and retail internet infrastructure and services in the country. Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan is services to most of the government Challenges like the lack of sustainable operational. agencies, banks, academic institutions, electrification, lack of universal services some ISPs and end users. Services and access, low quality of service, lack of provided by Afghan-Telecom range from local content and applications, lack of high speed fiber based (STM-1 and SDH) enough qualified local workforce, and lack connections to Wireless Microwave, of a comprehensive consumer-protection Wimax, Wi-Fi, PDSN/CDMA Dongles and oriented legal and regulatory framework its most popular low-priced dialup and still exists and needs to be addressed. INTERNET With more than one million DSL services provided through its reseller internet subscribers (estimated) as of Insta-Telecom. KEY INDICATORS1 December 2011, there are 41 licensed ISPs # INDICATOR DETAILS In recent years internet prices have Tele-Density per 100 in the country. This includes the four GSM 2 declined to some extent due to dense 1 inhabitants ( Mobile + 67.38 operators and the fixed line carrier Wasel- CDMA + Fixed) competition in the data services market Service Coverage by Telecom in addition to the state owned 2 86% and the emergence of Afghan-Telecom as Population (Mobile + fixed line carrier Afghan-Telecom. Thirty Fixed + CDMA) a major ISP providing cheaper internet 3 Total Number of 17.96 Million seven of them are national license holders Mobile Subscribers services by importing international which allow them to provide internet 4 Total Number of Fixed 110,000 internet traffic through its national fiber Line Subscribers services throughout the country, while 4 5 Total Number of 200,000 optic backbone. But due to the lack of a CDMA Subscribers are local ISPs authorized to provide local Total Number of country-wide open and reliable physical 6 4,250 inter-provincial services only. Telecom Base Stations infrastructure and the reliance of the 7 Total Number of 1 Million Internet subscribers Including the four Mobile (GMS) operators majority of the ISPs on the expensive Total Number of 8 Registered .af Country 6,525 providing mobile based GPRS services satellite communications, prices for high Code Second Level throughout their coverage area, some of speed internet connectivity still remains Domains (ccSLD) the major ISPs providing internet services high. in main cities including Kabul, Herat, 1 Sources: MCIT (ATRA, DG-IT, DG-Planning and Policy, In an attempt to improve the general Afghan-Telecom), GSM Operators, ISPs and Jalalabad, Kandahar and Mazar include Independent Research. The indicators are as of quality of existing voice and data services December 2011. Neda-Telecom, Insta-Telecom, Rana 2 Due to unavailability of accurate official census and to append more value-added services, Technologies, IO Global, Ceretechs, New information the total population figure used by MCIT is estimated at 27.11 million whereas this figure is especially mobile-based high speed data Dunia, Multinet, Netzone, Asix and Afghan believed to be higher at 29.8 million in which case these indicators would be lower. 2 THE STATE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INTERNET IN AFGHANISTAN AT A GLANCE; BY JAVID HAMDARD. .