cable- Under the complex circumstances in Afghanistan since the Taliban received the rule in August 2021, the telecommunications sector is highlighted as one of the few sectors that achieve a relative development despite the deep economic and social crises.
While vital sectors such as banks, trade and education are shrinking, the telecommunications sector continues to grow, as more than 150 new towers were added during the year 2024, and the number of subscribers reached 22 million.
However, high Internet prices, strict control, and international sanctions represent real obstacles to the sustainability of this growth.
Can this sector turn into a vital engine for digital development in the country?
The beginnings of the womb of war
The telecommunications sector grew up in Afghanistan amid the affliction of wars in the 1990s, when the mobile phone and the Internet were a luxury limited to narrow categories of political and diplomatic class.
With the end of the nineties, the first mobile networks appeared, to form a means of communication between the separated Afghan cities and states in a country with weak infrastructure and the difficulty of mobility.
During the first Taliban rule (1996-2001), severe restrictions were imposed on the use of means of communication, especially the Internet, which was only available through narrow channels.
With the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, the sector began to witness a new start with the support of the international community, as private communications companies were established, and the third and fourth generation networks were created in some states.
Growth
The data of the Ministry of Communications and Afghan Information Technology indicates that the number of mobile phone services users exceeded 22 million, while the number of Internet users reached more than 9 million by 2024, in a country with a population of about 40 million.
The irony is that this growth occurred in light of a suffocating economic shrinkage, as most foreign investment projects have stopped, and the value of the local currency fell against the dollar. However, networks continued to expand support from government and private companies, as more than 150 new towers were installed to improve coverage, especially in rural areas.
In the beginning of 2025, the Afghan Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Mawlawi Naguib Allah Hayati Hakani, said in a statement to local media, “We are working to find alternatives to Western technology,” noting that an agreement with Kazakhstan was signed to extend the cable of optical fibers linking Afghanistan with regional networks and supports the independence of infrastructure. “We were able to deliver the Internet to 23 Afghan states, and we intend to generalize the service to include all states of the country soon,” he added.
The ministry also supported the launch of a new 4G site in the declaration of the Zabul State Center through the company “Atoma” in 2025, a project that enhances digital access in remote areas. In February 2025, the minister denied rumors about the penetration of the ministry’s regulations, stressing that the digital structure is “fully secured and is not subject to cyber attacks.”
Funding and cadres challenges
Despite the manifestations of expansion, the sector faces internal challenges, most notably the lack of technical cadres and the migration of expertise.
“Many qualified engineers left the country after 2021, and this has caused a big gap in network management and operation,” said Sayed Ahmed Shah Sadat, former Afghan Undersecretary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
He adds that “the import of modern devices is expensive and is subject to customs complications, in light of international sanctions and the lack of electronic payment gates.”
A former official in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology also confirms to Al -Jazeera Net, that “before 2021 the telecommunications sector was highly dependent on foreign investments and partnerships with Western companies, which allowed the development of third and fourth generation networks in the main cities.
However, the current international sanctions have stopped these partnerships, and the import of technical equipment has become dependent on brokers in neighboring countries, which raises the costs by up to 30%. “This situation limits the sector’s ability to update infrastructure and meet the increasing demand on the Internet, especially in rural areas,” the spokesman explains.
Despite the current efforts to expand the coverage, the lack of specialized cadres resulting from the migration of experts remains a major challenge that requires a long -term investment in local training, and the same speaker adds.
To confront this gap, the Ministry opened local training centers, most notably the Technical Training Center in the state of Baghlan, in northern Afghanistan, where 72 trainees graduated in January 2025, according to the director of the center’s director.
These initiatives aim to build local capabilities, but they do not compensate for the great deficiency in the required technical expertise.
The most expensive internet prices
Although there are 4 major communications companies in Afghanistan, the Internet prices remain from the top region. While the price of agapt in Iran is about $ 0.5, the price in Afghanistan ranges between $ 2.3 and $ 2.7.
In 2022, the ministry announced the price reduction to $ 1.41, but prices rose again by 2024 due to the costs of importing and economy fluctuations.
“My monthly salary does not exceed 150 dollars, but I have to spend about $ 70 on the Internet because it is necessary to work and communicate, and this is a great burden,” says Abdel -Raouf Nawabi, an employee of a private bank in the western state of Hirat Afghanistan.
“We sometimes use free Wi -Fi points in cafes and universities, but the service is slow and unstable,” he added.
Internet censorship
Since August 2021, Afghan authorities have tightened digital content. It has banned platforms such as “Tech Talk” and “YouTube”, and obligated the Internet suppliers to block sites “in violation of Islamic values and Afghan culture,” according to an official circular issued by the Ministry of Information in March 2025.
In 2022, the phone slices registration system was applied via the identity card, and this raised the concern of activists and those interested in freedom of expression.
According to the 2024 “Fredem House” report, the Internet freedom in Afghanistan has declined significantly. “Control is no longer only to prevent unethical content, but also the news pages and cash blogs, and publishing has become a risk in itself.”
International sanctions are a weapon against development
The sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union are among the most prominent obstacles to the development of the sector. Local communications companies find it difficult to buy modern devices or update safety systems due to the interruption of international banking transactions, and the inability to use payment platforms such as “People” and “Visa”.
“We need to license protection programs for networks, but most international companies refuse to sell for Afghanistan, or are stipulated in other countries, and this doubles costs. These restrictions increase import costs from countries such as Pakistan and Iran, and delay digital infrastructure updates,” says a local telecommunications company.
Since the withdrawal of foreign forces in 2021, most Western companies have withdrawn from the sector, and there is no longer a direct investment from abroad. The Afghan government is trying to compensate for this by strengthening cooperation with Asian countries such as China and Kazakhstan.
According to officials, initial talks were held with the Chinese company “Huawei” to support the development of the fifth generation networks.
It also enhances cooperation with Kazakhstan, announced in 2025, the country’s digital infrastructure. However, experts believe that these partnerships cannot replace Western investments, especially since many advanced technical equipment are made by only companies in Europe and North America.
Sector hopes and challenges
Despite the challenges, the telecommunications sector is seen as a glimmer of hope in a country suffering from suffocating political and economic isolation. The government is betting on developing a new law regulating the Internet and encouraging local investment, according to a consultant in the Ministry of Communications, who told Al -Jazeera Net that “the general trend is towards opening up with moral controls.”
The current government’s efforts
According to the statements of the spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Al -Kouzi Al -Kouzi, Al -Jazeera Net, the Afghan government has completed a number of prominent projects to develop the telecommunications sector, including:
- It extended more than 1,800 km of optical fiber cables, including 488 km only in 2024.
- Activating 869 telecommunications tower and expanding internet services in rural areas, including implementing new projects in Faris State.
- Launching a plan to reduce calls and internet prices as of January 2025.
- Distributing more than 33 million active SIM cards and the number of Internet users to about 13 million.
- Implementation of infrastructure projects that include building 450 communications sites in 18 states with a budget of 1.89 billion Afghan.
Lifting domestic product
A recent report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) confirms that improving digital infrastructure may contribute to raising the gross domestic product by up to 1.5% annually, if the sector is released, penalties are lifted, and provide the necessary training and equipment. Young people, who make up more than 60% of the population, represent a driving force for the increasing demand for digital services.
The telecommunications sector in Afghanistan is a model for a sector that grows despite crises, but it faces borders that are difficult to overcome without a supportive political and economic environment.
From new towers, regional agreements and training centers, to strict control and international sanctions, the opportunities and challenges of this sector intersect in a complex scene.
While the ordinary Afghan citizen tries to browse the Internet amid exhausting financial burdens, the Afghan government is seeking to achieve digital independence.
The question remains open: Can Afghanistan convert this sector into an engine for digital and economic growth, or will it remain hostage to internal and external restrictions?
