WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS IN TODAY

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WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS IN TODAYS AGE IN
AFGHANISTAN YESTERDAY, TODAY TOMORROW

• Presented by
• Shafi Ghafoor
• V.P. Operations
• RANA Technologies Kabul, Afghanistan

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Afghanistan - An Overview

• CURRENT POPULATION
• Current Total Population 28 Million
• Current Rural Population 19 Million (70 )
• Current Urban Population - 09 Million (30 )
• Population Growth Rate Per Annum 2
• Current GDP
• Currency Afghani
• GDP 20 Bn ()
• GDP Per Capita 714 ()
• GDP Real Growth 18 20
• GDP Composition Agriculture 70, Industry
  15, Services 15

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Current Communications Sector Scenario

• Four top international GSM companies
• (ROSHAN AWCC MTN-AREEBA ETISALAT)
• One State-owned CDMA company
• (AFGHAN TELECOM)
• 18 National ISP licensed operational companies
• Two National WIMAX licensed company
• (RANA Technologies and Afghan Telecom)
• One pay-phone licensed company (Afghan Telecom)
• Multiple regional based CDMA licensed companies

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Major Communications On-going Projects

• OFC Ring Backbone Project
• Fixed Line Network Expansion project
• District Level Communications Roll Out Project
• Village Level Communications Roll Out Project
• Broad Band Services on Fixed Line Networks
• Internet Exchange Point Project
• National Data Centre Build-up Project
• Access Networks Project
• International Exchange Project
• Full Mobility Project for CDMA Network

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Current Challenges

• Security
• Lack of Educated, Trained Skilled manpower
• Non-prioritization of Capacity Building
  Strategies
• Lack of Communications Infrastructure Building
  Companies
• Lack of Roads and Transportation means for
  accessing Remote Areas

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Some Positive ICT Policy Initiatives

• Privatization of GSM sector which brought a total
  investment of more that One billion US Dollars
  in the last 3 years.
• Roll out of OFC Backbone Project on the Ring Road
  of Afghanistan
• Focus on Govt communication projects like GCN,
  VCN and DCN
• Development Initiative for Access Networks for
  Remote Areas in 2008-2009
• Initiative to Roll out Broad band Services in
  2008-2009
• Telecentre Concept for Districts and Villages
  under GCN, DCN and VCN

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Wireless Communications Convergence
Opportunities in Afghanistan

• Wimax network on 3.4 GHz frequency already
  successfully deployed in top 5 cities of
  Afghanistan
• Quick Roll out of Wi-Fi based networks
• UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS through Wireless route
• (Companies like Siemens aggressively working on
  this initiatives)
• Broad band Internet Cafes on the Optical Fiber
  Routes
• Broad band Internet on Existing Fixed Line
  Networks in 06 Major Cities
• Demand of highly complex, integrated Unified
  communication networks is high in Afghanistan

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Ministry of Communications Information
Technologies Vision for Afghanistan

• Wide coverage of services in all cities, towns
  and 6000 villages
• Improved quality, Lower tariffs (halved) in next
  3 years
• Competitive environment with 5 Telecom Companies
  providing services in next 1 year
• National optical fiber project backbone completed
  providing high quality low cost ground based
  national and international connectivity in next 2
  years
• Cumulative investments in telecom of over 1.5
  billion in next 3 years
• 6 million phone users in next 4 years (20 of
  population)
• 50,000 jobs created in next 4 years
• Government revenues from Telecom in next 10 years
  
• USD 2 billion

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Afghanistans Telecom Policies

• PRINCIPLES
• Create a legal and regulatory environment that
  nurtures and accelerates industry growth.
• Engage private investment to the greatest extent
  possible.
• Establish a level playing field for competition.
• Introduce market liberalization.
• Encourage the usage of Internet and Information
  and communications technologies

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Afghanistan Telecom Policies

• GOALS
• To quickly restore the productive capacity of the
  exiting public networks with expanded and
  upgraded systems in all primary and secondary
  cities.
• Establish a National long distance network to
  provide basic Voice, Data and Internet
  communications to even the remotest regions of
  Afghanistan.
• Establish a national Back-bone network around the
  country that connects major Domestic population
  centers and our International neighbors.
• Issue additional nation-wide licenses for fixed
  telecommunications services.
• Issue Multiple ISP licenses.
• Increase Tele-density from the present 0.5 to
  15 by 2010.
• Increase mobile tele-density from the present
  2.5 to 30 by 2010.
• Maximize the use and value of radio frequency
  spectrum through competitive international
  tenders.
• Establish tele-centers in all the 423 small
  administrative centers and communities.

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Targets set by MCIT-Afghanistan
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THANK YOU!