KABUL - Afghanistan’s Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Amirzai Sangeen, today announced drastic reductions in the cost of internet services, saying these cuts were possible because of the increasing penetration of fibre optics countrywide.

The price of one Mega Bite (MB) internet to the internet service providing companies has been reduced from 300 US dollars to 97 US dollars, while the cost of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) has been cut by 50 percent, Mr. Sangeen told a press conference.

“We are sure that with the decision to reduce internet costs, our fellow countrymen will be able to use fast speed internet at reasonable prices,” the Minister said. “Our aim is to provide cheap and fast speed internet to the Afghan people.”

Afghanistan currently has 20,000 DSL users while around 150,000 people use 3G in the country, said Mr. Sangeen, and hoped that within the next two years, 3G services would cover 80 percent of the population.

“Total internet service in Afghanistan is 8 Giga Bite (GB) at present but hopefully in the next five years, when the entire country will be under 3G coverage, total internet service will reach 200 GB.”

Presently, Etisalat Telecommunication Company is providing 3G services in 11 provinces while another telecommunication company, MTN, recently started its 3G services in Kabul. Roshan Telecommunication Company recently obtained its 3G licence and is planning to start its 3G services within the next few months. Afghan Telecom is also preparing to launch its GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and 3G services in the next four months.

The Minister said that efforts to lay down fibre optics first started in Afghanistan five years ago and today major provinces are linked through this network. This fibre optic project is also in progress in four provinces in the south while surveys in the central provinces of Daikundi, Bamyan and Ghor are being undertaken. Surveys of Badakhshan and Takhar have already been completed.

Mr. Sangeen said that Afghanistan was now linked through fibre optics with neighbouring countries, including Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan.