April 20, 2012
The reports’ findings reveal unique comparative industry statistics since 2002, showing consistent and strong growth in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, heralding a positive future for this industry in Afghanistan. It also shows exciting developments in the convergence of technology platforms and media, in step with the wave of new media applications and social media content washing across the globe.
Among the highlights of the study include:
- Today 17 million Afghans have cell phones, up from less than 2 million in 2006 (Afghanistan has about 30 million people total).
- Telecom accounts for 12 percent of the total Afghan government revenues.
- The country has 44 Internet Service Providers and six major mobile carriers.
- Almost 3,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable has been laid alongside the country’s main ring road.
- The price of local and international calls have dramatically reduced, making it affordable to much of the country (SIM cards cost $250 in 2002; today you can buy them for less than a dollar).
For more information on the report go to: http://www.internews.org/research-publications/state-telecommunications-and-internet-afghanistan-six-years-later-2006-2012