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March 13, 2007 - When Aziz Gul returned home to Afghanistan in 2002 to pick up the pieces of his life, he left his two younger sons behind in Peshawar, Pakistan. Like thousands of other Afghans, Aziz and his family had fled to this Pakistani border town as war ravaged their homeland, destroyed their home, and wracked ruin on their once-lush fields.
Now, returning with his wife and oldest son after two long decades abroad, Aziz worried about the boys he had left behind. One ran the small business that had supported them through their refugee years, while the other was still at school; the family had thought it best to leave them there till they had rebuilt their ancient mud-walled house and things got better at home.
With telecommunications in Afghanistan completely destroyed, the anxious father made the arduous journey to Peshawar every few months to find out how his boys were faring. The trip was both risky and expensive; roving bands were known to rob the buses and border guards had to be kept happy with tips and bribes.
Now, four years later, thanks in part to the World Bank’s Telecommunications Project, financed under the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), Afghanistan has rebuilt and modernized its telecommunications network.
Aziz is now able to call his sons on his new mobile phone anytime of the day or night. He is spared the dusty, back-wrenching journey and talking to his sons doesn’t burn a hole in the family’s budget – it only costs them a dollar to speak for a few minutes.
Like Aziz, millions of Afghans with family members scattered across the country and the world, are happy to have the new system. With easier access to news of markets and prices, small businesses are also able to flourish, spurring the growth of private enterprise for which the Afghan people have a particular flair.
Television has also made a welcome appearance. After years of isolation, both rural and urban families are now able to watch the daily news from around the country and the world. People find it easier to know what their government in Kabul is doing and feel a sense of connection with the other parts of the country.
Given the extraordinary circumstances of rebuilding a devastated nation from scratch, the project, has faced its own set of challenges. Delays were also experienced in completing the billing system - the current billing system could only be introduced after a second round of bidding was complete.
Much still remains to be done in the sector. Although customers are soon to receive a broader range of telecom services - such as post-paid billing facilities so they don’t run out of credit in the middle of the night – the quality, range and reach of services remains a serious problem. Access in the rural areas is still very low and prices can be further reduced.
But, for Aziz Gul and the millions like him, a very good start has already been made.
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