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Challenge:
In 2002,
Afghanistan had a barely functioning communications network
• Over 99 percent of the population had no access to telecom services
• Only five major cities had telephone services
• Kabul accounted for about 2/3 of 57,000 functioning lines in the country
• Communications was mostly by face to face or by sending messages by hand
• The country had little or no access to the internet.
• Postal services were also recovering from years of conflict
Example of Impact:
The IDA financed Emergency Telecommunications Rehabilitation Project and the
ARTF financed Telecommunications Project and other projects supporting
Afghanistan’s telecom sector have played an important role in facilitating
Afghanistan’s national development by contributing to the following:
• Eight out of 100 Afghans now have access to a telephone, compared to less than
one out of 100 in 2002. Services are also more affordable now. Mobile prices
have dropped from about US$400 in 2002 to less than US$50 today and calling
costs have fallen from $2/min to $0.10/min.
• The number of telephones in
Afghanistan has increased from 57,000 in 2002 to
2.16 million in 2006. All provinces are now connected. Videoconferencing between
Kabul and the provincial capitals is now possible.
• Better communication services have provided an impetus for private sector
development by opening up new economic opportunities for individuals and small
and medium enterprises. The telecommunications sector itself provides employment
- directly or indirectly - to over 20,000 Afghans.
• A billing system – almost absent earlier – has been introduced and now covers
25 provinces. Afghan Telecom’s revenues have increased from less than $3 million
in 2003 to more than $20 million in 2006.
• The sector has attracted over US$ 300 million in private investments (60
percent of all foreign direct investment in Afghanistan). From a single operator
in 2002, Afghanistan’s now has four licensed private mobile operators, a unified
service provider, and seven operational private internet service providers.
Approach:
• World Bank (International Development Agency (IDA) Telecommunications Project)
and the
Afghanistan Rehabilitation Trust Fund (ARTF) financed the digital
transmission network
• The Memorandum of Understanding signed between Afghan Telecom and the
Pakistan
Telecommunications Company Limited to route telephone traffic to Pakistan
overland has lowered costs for Afghans and increased national and international
telecommunications traffic
• An Earth Satellite Station at Mahtab-Qala on the outskirts of Kabul has been
installed and commissioned and converted into the primary international
telecommunications gateway for Afghanistan
Challenges Remaining:
• Commercial power supply has yet to be provided to the earth satellite station.
The station is expected to become fully operational in March 2007
• Despite developments in the sector, gaps remain. A 2005 survey suggested that
60 percent of businesses still rated the quality and extent of
telecommunications as a serious problem
• Access needs to be improved in rural areas
• The quality and range of services also needs to be improved considerably and
prices further reduced
** Check out our:
Afghanistan Calling Cards
PCS Tags: Afghanistan Phone Cards,
Phone Cards Afghanistan,
Calling Cards Afghanistan
Source: http://www.worldbank.org.af/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/AFGHANISTANEXTN/0,,contentMDK:21255744~menuPK:305990~pagePK:2865066~piPK:2865079~theSitePK:305985,00.html
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