Kabul, November 4, 2006: History was made in Afghanistan on the 30th of October, when The Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Ltd., better known by its brand name Roshan, announced that it has reached the one million subscribers mark on its cellular network. This significant milestone has been reached in just over three years of operations and reaffirms Roshan’s position as the clear market leader by far, setting the standards for the growing cellular communications industry in Afghanistan.
“We are very excited and proud about reaching the million subscribers milestone, as this is evidence of the preference the Afghan people have for Roshan,” stated Karim Khoja, Chief Executive Officer of Roshan. He further added that the strong support for Roshan was also a reflection of the public confidence in Roshan’s reliability and its’ commitment to quality of service, customer satisfaction and constant innovation.
The million customers milestone comes at a time when Roshan has enjoyed the best three months period of its operations, in spite of increased competition in the market place. This lends further support to the Roshan CEO’s viewpoint that the Afghan people have great confidence in the Company and prefer to go for a Roshan connection
Roshan has been the principal facilitator of Afghanistan’s reconstruction and redevelopment, having the largest coverage of any operator in the country. A fast and reliable communications network has meant that discussion and decisions which previously involved travel and took several days, can now be achieved within minutes. The effect of this on the country’s economy is substantial, bringing efficiencies in businesses, connecting people not only countrywide but also connecting Afghanistan with others globally, and making communications the driver of economic growth.
“Roshan’s story is similar to the Afghan people’s own story; a story of faith, courage and determination to succeed against all odds,” said Altaf Ladak, Chief Marketing Officer of Roshan. “The success of Roshan is a success for the reconstruction activities in the country and Roshan has proved to be the catalyst.”
Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Ltd. (Roshan) is Afghanistan’s leading cellular telephone service provider, with a countrywide network that covers 155 cities and towns. Roshan directly employs some 806 people and provides indirect employment to hundreds of others. Roshan has invested over US$ 220 million in Afghanistan and is the country’s single largest tax payer contributing approximately 6 percent of the Afghan Government’s overall revenue. Roshan enacts a comprehensive corporate social responsibility program and is deeply committed to Afghanistan’s reconstruction and socio-economic development.
November 6, 2006