110 More Towers To Be Install By MCIT

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has the responsibility of telecommunications development all over Afghanistan; envisaged predicted that  telecommunications development will start from large cities and will be gradually extended to rural areas while the remote areas will be last in the list of telecommunications companies.

In order that rural telecommunications development is speeded up and access to telecommunications services is facilitated earlier, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology established the Telecommunications Development Fund (TDF). TDF collects 2.5% from the gross revenues of telecom companies since 2003.

Afghanistan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA) in consultation with the involved parties has completed the Universal Access Policy and Manual of Operating Procedures of TDF in late 2008. Authority is now ready to embark on the implementation of the 5^thRural Telecommunications Development project. Following the analysis of telecommunications status in various parts of the country, ATRA/MCIT selected 110 TBS sites in 107 districts in those 31 provinces which are in the bottom of the telecommunications development index. These 107 districts do not have access to telecommunications services and are not included to in the development plans of telecom companies for the year 2011.

This project will be implemented by the existing telecom companies. The winning company will be provided with subsidy which will be determined by a competitive bidding process. The provision of subsidy will encourage the telecom companies to expand their networks to the remotely located areas which are last in the list of telecom companies. This project will provide access to telecommunications services for about 200,000 people in the selected 107 districts.