Afghanistan has undergone tremendous changes since the U.S. military launched widespread operations in this country at the beginning of the 21st century. When the oppressive Taliban regime was in power, the telecommunication industry was very weak and outdated. Under this brutal dictatorship, ordinary citizens often lacked basic services such as land-based phone lines and electricity. War-torn Afghanistan has been gradually recovering economically and socially thanks to foreign investments especially from the United States and Europe.
Some Afghani entrepreneurs were able to escape the Taliban regime and startup businesses in western countries such as Canada and the United States. Eventually, such individuals were finally able to return to their homeland and provide much-needed help in several sectors including telecommunication. The United States military has encouraged Afghani businesspeople worldwide to help with efforts in establishing reliable wireless cellphone communication in Afghanistan. U.S. and European satellite operators have been able to work out deals that provide reliable phone communication coverage all over Afghanistan. Such advances have also been made possible thanks to the establishment of ministries of communications and commerce in Afghanistan.
For many citizens of this remote country, cellphone communication is a relatively new service that has never been available before. Telecommunication business people believe in the importance of providing wireless services in remote parts of Afghanistan that include villages in high altitude mountains and desolate deserts. Such residents can only stay connected to others via cell phones. An entrepreneur like Ehsan Bayat and other investors are examples of businesspeople who have launched ventures in Afghanistan.
Investing in politically unstable countries is surely a risk business move. However, native Afghani entrepreneurs feel a strong urge to help out their homeland in times of uncertainty and instability. Such business people go beyond just launching commercial operations; social services and basic resources are also supplied to needy Afghani citizens thanks to compassionate and loyal entrepreneurs who never forget where they came from. Philanthropy plays an important role in the lives of investors who return to their native countries. Such individuals might receive humanitarian recognition from foreign governments that support efforts to rebuild war-stricken countries.
Radio broadcasting still remains a popular form of telecommunication in a developing nation like Afghanistan. Modern businesspeople need to understand that such traditional technology shouldn’t necessarily be replaced with the latest telecom standards. It is quite profitable to manage radio operations in Afghanistan as opposed to Internet service providers. The majority of citizens in this nation don’t have personal computers. High-speed Internet access is considered a luxurious amenity for the upper class and members of the government or military. However, businesspeople might launch initiatives to lay the foundations for a widespread Internet infrastructure in developing war-torn nations.
Laying out fiber optic cables isn’t a realistic option in poor countries like Afghanistan. The process of improving this nation’s telecommunication industry begins by providing Internet service via land phone lines. For high-speed Internet access, citizens have to rely on satellites that also provide phone service. The landscape of Afghanistan makes it very difficult to lay out any telecommunication infrastructure over long distances. It seems that the best way to optimize the nation’s Internet service is to make satellite broadband widely available at affordable costs.
