As the telecommunication services in Afghanistan were almost completely destroyed after more then two decades of ravaging wars and armed local clashes, the government and private companies are now facing a challenging period of re-establishing these services in order to extend them to the public.

Prague studio received around twenty phone calls from listeners in Afghanistan and abroad. Most of the phone calls were listeners’ complains about high prices as compared to low standard of services provided by the operators. The discussion in the studios was aimed at telephone communication problems in Afghanistan and a newly launched Government project called ‘Noori Fiber’ that should strengthen telecommunication services across the country by setting up around more than 3000 km long fiber optic cable across Afghanistan. The project, which is partly funded by the Ministry of Communication and partly by Ministry of Finance, is a very challenging pilot project aimed at enhancing telecommunication means in Afghanistan and thus enabling people in Afghanistan to communicate within provinces and the outside world.

During the discussion, most of the caller-ins complained about high prices of GSM cards as well as telecommunication monthly flat rates for phone usage in Afghanistan. Monthly flat rate for one digital line currently cost around 150 Afghanis. The guests agreed that in order to enhance digital line network in Afghanistan, the ministry of communication will provide a special discount for all the analogue telephone sets owners who want to purchase a new digital telephone set. People also complained about the lack of services Afghan telecommunication companies offer to their customers as compared to the high prices people need to pay for these services.

From left to right: Prague RFA moderators Zarif Nazar and Jan Aqa Alekozai

According to the guests in the Kabul studio, Afghan government plans to invest around $80 million on ‘Noori Fiber’ project to boost digital lines from Afghan capital Kabul to all the provinces. Namely, the project should bring about 300 000 digital lines across Afghanistan. The guests did not specify the timeline of the plan, but agreed that the project will very soon strengthen the communication means between the center and the provinces.

As regards the Internet coverage in Afghanistan, Minister of Communication Eng Amirzai Sangin assured the listeners that this project will also strengthen Internet connection in Afghanistan. Minister Sangin said that Afghan Ministry of Communication has issued licenses to six international and national Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The government is also in the process of testing e-government projects. The ministry wants to enhance and support Internet connection even more by taxing all the ISPs in Afghanistan by 10 per cent off their total profits and thus use the money for supporting computer literacy and Internet in Afghanistan.

Another point discussed during the roundtable was usage of public phones in Kabul city. The guests said that in near future, around three hundred public phones will be set up in the streets of Kabul.