Roshan Secures 3G License for Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Roshan, Afghanistan's leading total communications provider, today announced that the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology (MCIT) has issued the company with a license that will enable Roshan to further expand and develop its already market-leading, innovative data packages via the 3G platform. Roshan celebrated the issuance of the license in a signing ceremony presided by His Excellency, Minister Amir Zai Sangin and other honorable ministerial dignitaries at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Kabul. Roshan is aiming for a commercial roll out of its 3G service later in the year.

Roshan has brought to market a range of robust data platforms for Afghan individuals and business.  Most recently, Roshan launched "Kahkashaan," an innovative galaxy of web portal services that allows customers to access rich content on their mobile phones, including ringtones, pictures, games and applications. The company was also the first to bring Blackberry and M-Paisa mobile money services to Afghanistan.

"We are delighted to introduce 3G technology to Roshan's six million and counting customers, expanding access to data-rich products and converged solutions to meet their needs," said Karim Khoja, chief executive officer of Roshan at the ceremony. "Not only does the license further bolster Roshan's robust and high-performing data services, but it also complements our existing state-of-the-art network that currently offers the widest, most reliable and highest quality coverage across all of Afghanistan's 34 provinces," added Khoja.

"3G technology is vital for the economic growth and development of Afghanistan in a host of different sectors – from education to health to commerce," said His Excellency, Minister Sangin. "In awarding this license to Roshan, we are embracing the mobile broadband revolution, expanding the country's data services and enhancing capacity, aimed at improving the lives of Afghans as they connect with each other and the rest of the world," added Sangin.

About Roshan

Roshan (Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Ltd) is Afghanistan's leading total communications provider with over 6 million active subscribers and a network that covers over 230 cities and towns in all of the country's 34 provinces.  Roshan is a true Afghanistan success story, serving as a catalyst for economic growth and actively contributing to the country's long-term development. Since its inception eight years ago, Roshan has invested over $550 million in Afghanistan and is the country's single largest investor and taxpayer, contributing approximately 5 percent of the Afghan government's overall domestic revenue. Roshan directly employs more than 1,300 people, 19 percent of whom are women, and provides indirect employment to more than 30,000 people. Roshan is deeply committed to Afghanistan's reconstruction and development. The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), is a major shareholder of Roshan and promotes private initiatives and building economically sound enterprises in the developing world. Also owned in part by Monaco Telecom International (MTI) and TeliaSonera, Roshan brings international expertise to the country and is committed to the highest standards of network quality and coverage for the people of Afghanistan.

Media Contacts:
Shaheen Shivji
Manager, Public Relations
Roshan
Office: +93 (0) 79 997 4845
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.roshan.af

Daniel Dean
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Office: +1 212 885 0477
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.hkstrategies.com

SOURCE Roshan