Announcement

Paktya Border Town Inaugurates Mobile Phone Service

200,000 Afghan citizens have access to cell phone service for the first time.

Chamkani, Paktya, Afghanistan | Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Photo: USAID/Deloitte MCIT

Mobile phone tower in Chamkani.

Thanks to intensive efforts to bring mobile phone service to more Afghans, 200,000 citizens living near the town of Chamkani are now connected to the wider world. Chamkani sits on the border with Pakistan and its citizens have never before been able to use cell phones to call the doctor or keep in touch with relatives. The two new mobile towers that make cell phone service possible are situated in the shadow of Firebase Chamkani, which offers protection from extremist militants. Afghan Wireless and MTN will provide service, having overcome challenges that included disputed property rights, logistics, and network connection problems due to Chamkani’s remote location. The U.S. Government, the U.S. Military, and the Afghan Ministry of Communications and Information Technology are now working to create a task force that will accelerate the deployment of mobile service along the Afghan border with Pakistan.

USAID/Afghanistan Bi-weekly Highlights Double Issue: 8/16/2009-9/15/2009 9/15/2009

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