Afghanistan Finally Sees the Launch of 4G Mobile Services
Afghanistan turmoil puts fibre optic cable projects on indefinite hold
Afghanistan was on the brink of unveiling the completion of a number of major telecom infrastructure projects in late-2021. However, the Taliban’s return to power following the collapse of the Afghan government and the withdrawal of international security forces has raised the prospect of these ventures never actually seeing the light of day.
The Afghan central government collapsed on August 15, 2021, precipitating the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul then the remainder of the country almost within a single day. That put an end to a 20-year mission to establish a civil society. It also arrested the development and growth of the country’s telecom sector, which had to start from scratch in building a functioning network and connections to the outside world following the end of the previous Taliban regime’s rule in 2001.
Part of the challenge involved building the infrastructure needed to support increasing demand for voice and data as the mobile subscription base rose from zero to close to 100% penetration. Afghanistan was making good progress in rolling out a nationwide optical fibre backbone, and a 400km cross-border fibre link with China (part of the Wakhan Corridor Fibre Optic Survey Project) was close to completion. Yet the Taliban had embarked on a strategy of destroying communications systems - the very same fibre cables being installed around the country as well as hundreds of mobile towers - in the leadup to the US announcing its withdrawal. The Taliban showed disdain for developing a modern communications system in the past; there seems little hope of a change in attitude that would result in the regime taking the final steps to get the fibre networks up and running.
Table of Contents
Key statistics
Regional Asia market comparison
- Market characteristics
- Market Leaders
- Market Challengers
- Market Emergents
- TMI vs GDP
- Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
- Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration
Country overview
Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector
- Economic considerations and responses
- Subscribers
- Infrastructure
Telecommunications market
- Historical background
Regulatory environment
- Background
- Regulatory authorities
- Mobile network developments
Mobile market
- Mobile infrastructure
- Mobile broadband
- Major mobile operators
- Mobile content and applications
Fixed-line broadband market
- Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
- WiMAX
Digital economy
- e-Government
- e-Health
Fixed network market
- Major network operators
Telecommunications infrastructure
- Fibre backbone
- Rural Access
- International infrastructure
Appendix Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports
List of Tables
Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities Afghanistan 2022 (e)Table 2 Population coverage type of mobile technology 2020
Table 3 Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 4 Change in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2013 2027
Table 5 Subscribers and market share by major operators 2020
Table 6 Change in the number of MTN Afghanistan's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Table 7 Change in MTN Afghanistan's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
Table 8 Change in MTN Afghanistan's revenue 2014 2021
Table 9 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 10 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by access speed 2015 2020
Table 11 Change in the number of fixed line subscriptions and teledensity 2012 2027
Table 12 Increase in international internet bandwidth 2012 2020
Table 13 Historic - Afghan Telecom - wireline and wireless subscribers 201 2016
Table 14 Historic - Mobile ARPU by operator ($/month) 2008 2012
Table 15 Historic - Mobile subscribers 2002 2011
Table 16 Historic - Fixed-line subscriptions and teledensity 2000 2011
Table 17 Historic - International internet bandwidth 2005 2011
Table 18 Historic - AWCC's mobile subscribers 2006 2011
Table 19 Historic - Roshan's mobile subscribers 2007 2010
Table 20 Historic - MTN Afghanistan mobile subscribers 2007 2011
Table 21 Historic - Etisalat Afghanistan mobile subscribers 2007 2011
List of Charts
Chart 1 Asia Telecoms Maturity Index Market LeadersChart 2 Asia Telecoms Maturity Index Market Challengers
Chart 3 Asia Telecoms Maturity Index Market Emergents
Chart 4 Asia Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 Asia Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 Central Asia Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 Central Asia Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 9 Change in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2013 2027
Chart 10 Change in the number of MTN Afghanistan's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 11 Change in MTN Afghanistan's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
Chart 12 Change in MTN Afghanistan's revenue 2014 2021
Chart 13 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 14 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by access speed 2015 2020
Chart 15 Change in the number of fixed line subscriptions and teledensity 2012 2027
Chart 16 Increase in international internet bandwidth 2012 2020
List of Exhibits
Exhibit 1 Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in AsiaExhibit 2 Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 Asia Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 Asia Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 Asia Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 Mobile operator and systems
Exhibit 7 Licensed ISPs March 2020
Companies Mentioned
- Afghan Telecom/Aftel/Salam Telecom/Networks
- Afghan Wireless Communications Company/AWCC
- Roshan/ Telecom Development Company Afghanistan (TDCA)
- Etisalat Afghanistan
- MTN Afghanistan
- Wasel Telecom.
