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{{short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->

[[File:Women engineers in Afghanistan.jpg|thumb|Internet users at the [[Polytechnical University of Kabul]] in [[Afghanistan]]]]
[[File:Women engineers in Afghanistan.jpg|thumb|Internet users at the [[Polytechnical University of Kabul]] in [[Afghanistan]]]]
'''Internet in Afghanistan''' began in 2002 after the [[Presidency of Hamid Karzai|Karzai administration]] took office in [[Kabul]]. It was banned prior to 2002 because the previous [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan|Taliban government]] believed that it broadcast obscene, immoral, and anti-Islamic material, and because the few [[internet]] users at the time could not be easily monitored as they obtained their telephone lines from neighboring [[Pakistan]].<ref name="oni">{{cite web|url=http://opennet.net/research/profiles/afghanistan|title=Afghanistan|date=8 May 2007|publisher=[[OpenNet Initiative]]|accessdate=16 January 2010}}</ref>
'''Internet in Afghanistan''' is available in all of its 34 [[provinces of Afghanistan|provinces]], and is used by over 9 million people as of 2022.<ref name="iws"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-afghanistan |title=Digital 2022: Afghanistan |date=15 February 2022 |access-date=2017-05-24}}</ref><ref name="CIAWFAF"/> The [[internet]] officially became available in 2002 during the [[presidency of Hamid Karzai]]. Prior to that year, it was prohibited because the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] believed that it may be used to broadcast obscene, immoral and anti-Islamic material, and because the few internet users at the time could not be easily monitored as they obtained their telephone lines from neighboring [[Pakistan]].<ref name="oni">{{cite web|url=http://opennet.net/research/profiles/afghanistan|title=Afghanistan|date=8 May 2007|publisher=[[OpenNet Initiative]]|access-date=16 January 2010}}</ref><ref name="The battle for control of Afghanistan’s internet"/>

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[[Afghanistan]] was given legal control of the "[[.af]]" [[domain name|domain]] in 2003, and the Afghanistan Network Information Center (AFGNIC) was established to administer domain names. The [[Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Afghanistan)|Ministry of Communications and Information Technology]] (MCIT), charged a newly created independent company called [[Afghan Telecom]] with spinning off all telecommunications operations and services. Up from five functional [[internet service provider]]s (ISPs) in 2003, Afghanistan supported twenty-two internet hosts and seven main ISPs, and a growing number of [[Internet café|internet cafés]] and telekiosks (public access points located in post offices and at [[Kabul International Airport]]). The country currently has around 6,000 .af domains.<ref name="The battle for control of Afghanistan’s internet"/>


Afghans have long recognized the internet as an important source of growth and development for the country, believing that [[information and communication technologies]] can create opportunities for disadvantaged groups and improve the access of the rural poor to markets.<ref name=oni/> In November 2006, the MCIT contracted a Chinese firm ([[ZTE]]) for the establishment [[optical fiber]] cable network in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mcit.gov.af/Content/Media/Documents/englishletter1362011101212337553325325.pdf|title=National Optical Fiber Backbone|publisher=[[Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Afghanistan)]]|year=2006|access-date=January 17, 2012|archive-date=May 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509094540/http://mcit.gov.af/Content/Media/Documents/englishletter1362011101212337553325325.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The price of internet gradually began reducing in the late 2010s.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://tolonews.com/business/govt%C2%A0reduces-internet-prices-37-percent |title= Govt Reduces Internet Prices By 37 Percent |work=TOLOnews |date=26 July 2019 |access-date=2023-01-21}}</ref> [[3G]] services began in the country in 2012 and are provided by all major telecommunication companies, including [[Afghan Telecom]], [[Afghan Wireless]], [[Emirates Telecommunications Corporation|Etisalat]], [[MTN Group]], [[Roshan (telco)|Roshan]], and Salaam Network. [[4G]] services became available as of 2017.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ariananews.af/awcc-opens-4g-internet-services-for-first-time-in-afghanistan/ |title=AWCC Opens 4G Internet Services for First Time in Afghanistan |work=Ariana News |date=May 4, 2017 |access-date=2023-01-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://pajhwok.com/2020/12/30/etisalat-launches-4g-lte-service-in-balkh/ |title=Etisalat launches 4G LTE service in Balkh |work=Ariana News |date=30 December 2020 |access-date=2023-01-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nperf.com/en/map/AF/-/-/signal/?ll=34.051945693887745&lg=67.67999999999998&zoom=6 |title=3G / 4G / 5G coverage map, Afghanistan |publisher=|access-date=2023-01-21}}</ref>
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[[Afghanistan]] was given legal control of the "[[.af]]" domain in 2003, and the Afghanistan Network Information Center (AFGNIC) was established to administer domain names. The [[Ministry of Communications (Afghanistan)|Ministry of Communications]] charged with spinning off all telecommunications operations and services to a newly created independent company called [[Afghan Telecom]]. Up from five functional [[internet service provider]]s (ISPs) in 2003, Afghanistan supported twenty-two internet hosts and seven main ISPs, and a growing number of internet cafés and telekiosks (public access points located in post offices and at [[Kabul International Airport]]).


== History ==
The current government recognizes the internet as an important source of growth and development for the country, believing that [[Information and communication technologies|ICT]] can create opportunities for disadvantaged groups and improve the access of the rural poor to markets.<ref name=oni/> In November 2006, the Ministry of Communications contracted a Chinese firms ([[ZTE]]) for the establishment of a countrywide [[Optical fiber|fiber optic]]al cable network.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mcit.gov.af/Content/Media/Documents/englishletter1362011101212337553325325.pdf |title=National Optical Fiber Backbone |publisher=[[Ministry of Communications (Afghanistan)]]|year=2006|accessdate=January 17, 2012}}</ref> By 2010, there were at least 46 ISPs in the country with 1 million internet users.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2153.html?countryName=Afghanistan&countryCode=af&regionCode=sas&#af CIA - The World Factbook - Field Listing :: Internet users<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[3G]] services began in the country in 2012 and are provided by all major telecommunication companies, including [[Emirates Telecommunications Corporation|Etisalat]], [[MTN Group]], [[Roshan (telco)|Roshan]], and [[Afghan Wireless]].
In the 1990s, Afghanistan was almost completely offline due to war and later banned from the internet by the Taliban.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Evolution in the Taliban’s Media Strategy {{!}} Program on Extremism {{!}} The George Washington University |url=https://extremism.gwu.edu/evolution-in-taliban-media-strategy |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=Program on Extremism |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 2020 |title=INTERNET and AFGHANISTAN |url=https://www.irjet.net/archives/V7/i6/IRJET-V7I6216.pdf}}</ref> During this time, Afghan websites were developed mostly by the Afghan diaspora in the west, including the first Afghan web directory, afghana.com, which launched in 1999 and provided a directory of local and international Afghan-related websites, Afghanistan maps, businesses, historical documents, chat services, email services, books, etc.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2004-09-09 |title=Hell of a Nation ~ Resources {{!}} Wide Angle {{!}} PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/uncategorized/resources-10/1285/ |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Wide Angle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Aid Organizations |url=https://quaker.org/legacy/afghanistan/AidOrgs.htm |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=quaker.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Marjan |first=Muhammad |date=2003 |title=Afghanistan |url=https://digital-review.org/uploads/files/pdf/2003-2004/021_27_Afghanistan_Final_May.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119005212/https://digital-review.org/uploads/files/pdf/2003-2004/021_27_Afghanistan_Final_May.pdf |access-date=2024-05-27 |archive-date=2022-01-19 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> After collapse of the Taliban, there was an exponential growth of both ISPs and websites, fueled by governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as private enterprises. After the Taliban regained control of the government in 2021, they did not ban the internet as they did in the 1990s. They did, however, ban certain applications such as TikTok.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Azadi |first=RFE/RL's Radio |title=Taliban Bans TikTok, Popular Video Game In Afghanistan |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/taliban-bans-tiktok-video-game-pubg/31814523.html |access-date=2024-05-27 |work=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |language=en}}</ref>


==Legal and regulatory frameworks==
==Legal and regulatory frameworks==
{{very long|section|date=April 2011}}
[[File:Afghan man reading Wikipedia article in Kandahar.jpg|thumb|Internet user at [[Kandahar University]] in the south of the country]]
[[File:Afghan man reading Wikipedia article in Kandahar.jpg|thumb|Internet user at [[Kandahar University]] in the south of the country]]
[[File:Afghan females using internet in Herat.jpg|thumb|Female students using the internet at [[Herat University]] in western Afghanistan]]
[[File:Afghan females using internet in Herat.jpg|thumb|Female students using the internet at [[Herat University]] in western Afghanistan]]
[[File:Internet in northern Afghanistan-2010.jpg|thumb|Afghans using internet in [[Kunduz Province]], in northern Afghanistan]]
[[File:Internet in northern Afghanistan-2010.jpg|thumb|Afghans using internet in [[Kunduz Province]], in northern Afghanistan]]{{Out of date|date=October 2023|reason=Article seems to be based mostly on pre-2011 information}}
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Afghanistan is one of the least developed countries, mainly due to the decades of war and lack of foreign investment. Freedom of expression is inviolable under the [[Constitution of Afghanistan]], and every Afghan has the right to print or publish topics without prior submission to state authorities in accordance with the law. However, the normative limits of the law are clear: under the Constitution no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of [[Islam]]. Mass media law has become increasingly attentive to a more vigorous adherence to this principle. The Media Law decreed by President [[Hamid Karzai]] in December 2005, just before the national legislature was formed, included a ban on four broad content categories: the publication of news contrary to Islam and other religions; [[slanderous]] or insulting materials concerning individuals; matters contrary to the Afghan Constitution or criminal law; and the exposure of the identities of victims of violence. A draft amendment of the law circulating in 2006 added four additional proscribed categories: content jeopardizing the stability, national security, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan; false information that might disrupt public opinion; promotion of any religion other than Islam; and "material which might damage physical well-being, psychological and moral security of people, especially children and the youth".<ref name=oni/>


=== Legal rights to freedom of expression and its limits ===
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Freedom of expression is inviolable under the [[Constitution of Afghanistan]], and every Afghan has the right to print or publish topics without prior submission to state authorities in accordance with the law. However, the normative limit of the law is clear: under the Constitution no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of [[Islam]]. Mass media law has become increasingly attentive to more vigorous adherence to this principle. The Media Law decreed by President [[Hamid Karzai]] in December 2005, just before the national legislature was formed, included a ban on four broad content categories: the publication of news contrary to Islam and other religions; [[slanderous]] or insulting materials concerning individuals; matters contrary to the Afghan Constitution or criminal law; and the exposure of the identities of victims of violence. A draft amendment of the law circulating in 2006 added four additional proscribed categories: content jeopardizing the stability, national security, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan; false information that might disrupt public opinion; promotion of any religion other than Islam; and "material which might damage physical well-being, psychological and moral security of people, especially children and the youth".<ref name="oni" />

=== Independence of the media ===
The independence of the media was also brought into question by the March 2004 [[Blasphemy law in Afghanistan#Media law 2004|Media Law]] enacted by the transitional government, which handed the Minister of Culture and Information important veto powers (e.g., foreign agencies and international organizations may print news bulletins only after obtaining permission from the Minister) and leadership of a Media Evaluation Commission that reviews appeals of rejections of licenses by the Ministry of Information and Culture. The proposed amendment to the Media Law in late 2006 dissolved the Media Evaluation Commission and two other regulatory bodies, the National Commission of Radio and Television Broadcast, and an investigation commission that reviewed complaints against journalists and decided which cases should be forwarded to courts for prosecution.<ref name=oni/>
The independence of the media was also brought into question by the March 2004 [[Blasphemy law in Afghanistan#Media law 2004|Media Law]] enacted by the transitional government, which handed the Minister of Culture and Information important veto powers (e.g., foreign agencies and international organizations may print news bulletins only after obtaining permission from the Minister) and leadership of a Media Evaluation Commission that reviews appeals of rejections of licenses by the Ministry of Information and Culture. The proposed amendment to the Media Law in late 2006 dissolved the Media Evaluation Commission and two other regulatory bodies, the National Commission of Radio and Television Broadcast, and an investigation commission that reviewed complaints against journalists and decided which cases should be forwarded to courts for prosecution.<ref name=oni/>


=== Telecommunications services and their regulation ===
With the approval of the Telecommunications Services Regulation Act in 2005 (Telecom Law), an independent regulatory agency called the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) was created out of the merger of the Telecommunications Regulatory Board and the State Radio Inspection Department (SRID) under the Ministry of Communications. The TRA assumed responsibility for telecommunications licensing as well as promoting sustainable competition for all telecommunications services.<ref name=oni/>
With the approval of the Telecommunications Services Regulation Act in 2005 (Telecom Law), an independent regulatory agency called the Afghanistan '''Telecom Regulatory Authority''' (TRA) was created out of the merger of the Telecommunications Regulatory Board and the State Radio Inspection Department (SRID) under the Ministry of Communications. The TRA assumed responsibility for telecommunications licensing as well as promoting sustainable competition for all telecommunications services.<ref name="oni" />


Licensing requirements are straightforward: companies must abide by the law to be licensed by the TRA, and only those with licenses can sell telecommunications services. Of the two types of ISP licenses, transit and national licenses, only transit licenses allow ISPs to establish international connectivity. Part of the TRA mandate is to protect users from the abuse of monopoly market share: companies determined to have “significant market power” must apply to have an amended license and are subject to additional penalties for anti-competitive behavior. A license may be revoked if the licensee has broken the law or has failed to fix repeated breaches in the agreement, has misleading/false information in their application, or does not pay the fee even after a warning.<ref name=oni/>
'''Licensing requirements''' are straightforward: companies must abide by the law to be licensed by the TRA, and only those with licenses can sell telecommunications services. Of the two types of ISP licenses, transit and national licenses, only transit licenses allow ISPs to establish international connectivity. Part of the TRA mandate is to protect users from the abuse of monopoly market share: companies determined to have “significant market power” must apply to have an amended license and are subject to additional penalties for anti-competitive behavior. A license may be revoked if the licensee has broken the law or has failed to fix repeated breaches in the agreement, has misleading/false information in their application, or does not pay the fee even after a warning.<ref name="oni" />


Under the Telecom Law, ISPs are duty-bound to protect user information and confidentiality. However, the TRA is also authorized to demand the operator or service provider to monitor communications between users as well as Internet traffic in order to trace “harassing, offensive, or illegal” telecommunications, although what constitutes these prohibited communications is not specified. Where an issue of national security or a criminal case is involved, operators and service providers must hand over the required information and give the authorities immediate access to their network. In cases where there is no such immediate need, the TRA still has the right to “relevant information” as long as the TRA has given two weeks’ notice. In its Acceptable Use Policy, the AFGNIC prohibits the use of the “.af” domain to make any communications to commit a criminal offense; racially vilify others; violate intellectual property rights; and distribute, publish, or link to pornographic materials that a “reasonable person as a member of the community of Afghanistan would consider to be obscene or indecent”. The ban on spam or junk mail also includes unsolicited political or religious tracts along with commercial advertising and other information.<ref name=oni/>
Under the Telecom Law, ISPs are duty-bound to protect '''user information and confidentiality'''. However, the TRA is also authorized to demand the operator or service provider to monitor communications between users as well as Internet traffic to trace “harassing, offensive, or illegal” telecommunications, although what constitutes these prohibited communications is not specified. Where an issue of national security or a criminal case is involved, operators and service providers must hand over the required information and give the authorities immediate access to their network. In cases where no such immediate need exists, the TRA still has the right to “relevant information” as long as the TRA has given two weeks’ notice. In its Acceptable Use Policy, the AFGNIC prohibits the use of the “.af” domain to make any communications to commit a criminal offense; racially vilify others; violate intellectual property rights; and distribute, publish, or link to pornographic materials that a “reasonable person as a member of the community of Afghanistan would consider to be obscene or indecent”. The ban on spam or junk mail also includes unsolicited political or religious tracts along with commercial advertising and other information.<ref name="oni" />


=== Security and intelligence ===
On June 12, 2006, the [[National Directorate of Security]] (NDS), Afghanistan’s national intelligence agency, issued a list of broadcasting and publishing activities that “must be banned” in light of heightened security problems that could deteriorate public morale. The list of proscribed press activities was quite extensive and attributed negative intention, causality, and morality to reporting on specific issues (primarily terrorism and the [[Taliban insurgency]]). President Karzai denied these were instructions, saying they were merely guidelines and a request for media cooperation. Restricted activities included the publication or broadcasting of exaggerated reports against national unity or peace; decrees, statements and interviews of armed organizations and terrorist groups; and even the proscription against news on terrorism serving as the lead story.<ref name=oni/>
On June 12, 2006, the [[National Directorate of Security]] (NDS), Afghanistan's national intelligence agency, issued a list of broadcasting and publishing activities that “must be banned” in light of heightened security problems that could deteriorate public morale. The list of proscribed press activities was quite extensive and attributed negative intention, causality, and morality to reporting on specific issues (primarily terrorism and the [[Taliban insurgency]]). President Karzai denied these were instructions, saying they were merely guidelines and a request for media cooperation. Restricted activities included the publication or broadcasting of exaggerated reports against national unity or peace; decrees, statements and interviews of armed organizations and terrorist groups; and even the proscription against news on terrorism serving as the lead story.<ref name=oni/>


[[OpenNet Initiative]] testing found no evidence of filtering in Afghanistan, although testing was not as extensive there as it was in some other countries.<ref name=oni/>
[[OpenNet Initiative]] testing found no evidence of filtering in Afghanistan, although testing was not as extensive there as it was in some other countries.<ref name=oni/>


==Statistics and services==
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==List of Internet service providers==
The Internet is available in all 34 [[provinces of Afghanistan]]. The country currently has 9,237,489 regular internet users.<ref name="iws">{{cite web |url=https://www.internetworldstats.com/asia.htm#af |title=Asia Internet Stats by Country and Population Statistics |access-date=2020-10-12 |archive-date=2019-02-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204014629/https://www.internetworldstats.com/asia.htm#af |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to a 2020 estimate, over 7 million residents, which is roughly 18% of the [[demographics of Afghanistan|population]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS?locations=AF |title=Individuals using the Internet (% of population) |publisher=World Bank |date=2020 |access-date=2023-01-21}}</ref> had access to the internet.<ref name="CIAWFAF">{{cite web |title=Afghanistan |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/afghanistan/#communications |website=The World Factbook |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=2020-10-12}}</ref> It was reported in 2010 that [[Kabul]], [[Jalalabad]] and [[Khost]] had the most internet users.<ref>"[http://www.altaiconsulting.com/docs/media/ Media in Afghanistan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110528161747/http://www.altaiconsulting.com/docs/media/ |date=2011-05-28}}", Altai Consulting, July 2010</ref> The country has 327,000 IP addresses, 23,000,000 mobile cellular telephone subscriptions and around 6,000 [[.af]] [[domain name|domains]].<ref name="The battle for control of Afghanistan’s internet">{{cite news |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/afghanistan-taliban-internet |title=The battle for control of Afghanistan's internet |publisher=Wired (magazine) |date=September 7, 2021 |access-date=2023-01-21}}</ref>
According to the Afghan Ministry of Communications, the following are some of the Internet service providers operating in Afghanistan:<ref>[http://mcit.gov.af/en/page/16]</ref>


Nearly all popular online services and over five million websites are available in Afghanistan, including [[Facebook]], [[Google]], [[Instagram]], [[MSN]], [[Netflix#International_expansion|Netflix]], [[Archive.org]], [[PayPal]], [[PlayStation Network]], [[Skype]], [[TikTok]], [[Twitter]], [[Discord]], [[Google Play]], [[Newgrounds]], [[Tumblr]], [[Wikipedia]], [[Messenger (software)|Messenger]], [[Hugging Face]], [[Fandom (website)|Fandom]], [[Viber]], [[Signal (messaging app)|Signal]], [[Threads (app)|Threads]], [[LinkedIn]], [[ABC (newspaper)|ABC]], [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]], [[WhatsApp]], [[SoundCloud]], [[Flickr]], [[Pinterest]], [[Dictionary.com]], [[The Free Dictionary]], [[Yahoo!]], [[Miniclip]], [[Nitrome]], [[ChatGPT]], [[Bing AI]], [[DeviantArt]], [[BBC]], [[Tenor (website)|Tenor]], [[YouTube]], [[Dailymotion]], [[Vimeo]], [[Disney+]], [[Hulu]], [[Blogger (service)|Blogger]], [[Dreamstime]], [[Shutterstock]], [[Archive of Our Own]], [[Niconico|Nico Video]], [[GitHub]], [[TinEye]], [[Scratch (programming language)|Scratch]], [[IQIYI]], [[Reddit]], and [[Zoom (software)|Zoom]]. Around 4,423,600 Facebook users were reported in the country.<ref name="iws"/>
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*Unique Atlantic Telecommunication LTD www.uatelecom.af

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In early 2011, Paywast (in [[Dari]] پیوست ), a local mobile social network was launched. It is based on mobile, and its users connect with their friends and create groups and communities through SMS. With more than half of the Afghan population owning a mobile phone, Paywast is believed to have more than a million users across Afghanistan. The social network is available on the [[Afghan Wireless|AWCC]], [[Emirates Telecommunications Corporation|Etisalat]], and [[MTN Group|MTN]] [[GSM]] networks.<ref>[https://paywast.af/ Paywast - Mobile Social Networking]</ref>

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===Internet service providers===
The following are some of the internet service providers in Afghanistan:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mcit.gov.af/en/page/16 |title=Internet Service Providers (ISP) - Ministry of Communications and Information Technology |access-date=2012-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223112707/http://mcit.gov.af/en/page/16 |archive-date=2011-12-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*Afghan Cyber<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://afghancyber.com/ |title=Afghan Cyber}}</ref>
*AfghaNet<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://afghanet.com/ |title=AfghaNet}}</ref>
*Afghan ICT Solution
*Afghan ICT Solution
*Afghanistan Faiz Satellite Communication (AFSAT)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://afsat.af/ |title=AFSAT}}</ref>
*Afghan Cyber
*[[Afghan Telecom]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-173338 |title= Govt-Owned Telecom Company Wins Spectrum Assignment Auction |work=TOLOnews |date=6 July 2021 |access-date=2023-01-21}}</ref>
*Northtelecom-af Internet Services Provider (ISP)
*[[Afghan Wireless]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ariananews.af/awcc-expands-communication-internet-services-in-southern-afghanistan/ |title=AWCC expands communication, internet services in southern Afghanistan |work=Ariana News |date=March 3, 2022 |access-date=2023-01-21}}</ref>
*AfSat
*Ariana Network Services<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bayat-group.com/ariana-network-services |title=Ariana Network Services}}</ref>
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*Ariana Network Services
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*Aryan Technologies
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*Asan Network Services
*CeReTechs
*CeReTechs
*[[Etisalat by e&|Eitisalat]]<ref name="Khaama-October 2022">{{cite news |url=https://www.khaama.com/telecommunications-company-launches-4g-services-in-western-afghanistan-57348/ |title=Telecommunications Company Launches 4G Services in Western Afghanistan |work=Khaama Press |date=October 13, 2022 |access-date=2023-01-21}}</ref>
*Insta
*IO Global Services (P) Limited
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*Rana Technologies
*LiwalNet
*PACTEC International
*Giganet
*Giganet
*Giganor
*Neda
*Hewad ICT Solutions<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://hewadict.com/ |title=Hewad ICT Solutions}}</ref>
*Unique Atlantic Telecommunication LTD
*Insta Telecom<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.instatelecom.com |title=Insta Telecom}}</ref>
*IO Global Services Limited (IOG)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.io-global.com/ |title=Io Global Services Private Limited (IOG)}}</ref>
*Liwal Telecommunications LLC<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.liwal.com/liwalnet/ |title=Liwal Telecommunications LLC}}</ref>
*Movj Technology<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://movj.tech/ |title=Movj Technology}}</ref>
*Neda Telecom<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.neda.af/ |title=Neda Telecom}}</ref>
*Noor Telecom
*North Telecom<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://northtelecom.af/ |title=North Telecom}}</ref>
*Rahanet<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://rahanet.af/ |title=Rahanet Internet Service Provider}}</ref>
*RANA Technologies<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ranatech.com/ |title=RANA Technologies}}</ref>
*ROSHAN
*Stan Telecom<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://stantelecom.af/ |title=Stan Telecom}}</ref>
*TriStar Internet<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tristar.af/ |title=TriStar Internet}}</ref>
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*Unique Atlantic Telecommunication LTD
*Vizocom<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.vizocom.com/ |title=Vizocom}}</ref>


==Usage per city==
==Censorship==
In April 2024, the Taliban government announced that they would block Facebook in the country, but it didn't happen.<ref>{{cite news |title=Taliban Declare Plans To Block Access To Facebook In Afghanistan |url=https://thefridaytimes.com/11-Apr-2024/taliban-s-declare-plans-to-block-access-to-facebook-in-afghanistan |access-date=11 April 2024 |work=The Friday Times |date=11 April 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
[[Kabul]], [[Jalalabad]], and [[Khost]] have the most Internet users. Most [[rural]] towns and villages throughout the country do not have access to the Internet as of 2010.<ref>"[http://www.altaiconsulting.com/docs/media/ Media in Afghanistan]", Altai Consulting, July 2010</ref>

===Social networking===
Due to low literacy rate and high internet fees, about 10% of the 26 million population has internet access.<ref>[http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2013/01/08/3-fold-cut-internet-prices-announced 3-fold cut in Internet prices announced]</ref> Services such as [[YouTube]], [[Facebook]], [[Twitter]], and others are limited to the upper-middle-class youth in the major urban areas. Facebook currently has around 289,000 users in Afghanistan, a large part of which are foreign military personnel-related staff.<ref>[http://www.socialbakers.com/facebook-statistics/afghanistan SocialBakers]</ref>

⚫
In early 2011, Paywast (in [[Dari (Persian dialect)|Dari]] پیوست ), a local mobile social network was launched. It is based on mobile, and its users connect with their friends and create groups and communities through SMS. With more than half of the Afghan population owning a mobile phone, Paywast is believed to have more than a million users across Afghanistan. The social network is available on the [[Afghan Wireless|AWCC]], [[Emirates Telecommunications Corporation|Etisalat]], and [[MTN Group|MTN]] [[GSM]] networks.<ref>[http://www.paywast.af/ Paywast - Mobile Social Networking]</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|Afghanistan|Internet}}
*[[Communications in Afghanistan]]
*[[Communications in Afghanistan]]
*[[Education in Afghanistan]]
*[[Mass media in Afghanistan]]


==References==
==References==
Line 60: Line 86:
==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Internet in Afghanistan}}
{{Commons category|Internet in Afghanistan}}
*{{Cite news |url=https://pajhwok.com/2022/09/11/kabul-residents-complain-about-patchy-expensive-internet/ |title=Kabul residents complain about patchy, expensive internet |work=Pajhwok Afghan News |date=11 September 2022}}
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{{Asia topic|Internet in}}
*{{Cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-08-31/taliban-continues-censorship-web-blocks-as-it-promises-4g |title=Taliban Continues Censorship, Web Blocks As It Promises 4G |publisher=Bloomberg News |date=August 31, 2022}}
*{{Cite news |url=https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_53359.htm |title=SILK-Afghanistan: expanding internet connectivity (2006-2016) |publisher=NATO |date=September 15, 2022}}


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{{Asia topic|Internet in}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Internet In Afghanistan}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Internet In Afghanistan}}
[[Category:Internet in Afghanistan| ]]
[[Category:Internet in Afghanistan| ]]

Latest revision as of 07:41, 11 December 2024

Internet users at the Polytechnical University of Kabul in Afghanistan

Internet in Afghanistan is available in all of its 34 provinces, and is used by over 9 million people as of 2022.[1][2][3] The internet officially became available in 2002 during the presidency of Hamid Karzai. Prior to that year, it was prohibited because the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan believed that it may be used to broadcast obscene, immoral and anti-Islamic material, and because the few internet users at the time could not be easily monitored as they obtained their telephone lines from neighboring Pakistan.[4][5]

Afghanistan was given legal control of the ".af" domain in 2003, and the Afghanistan Network Information Center (AFGNIC) was established to administer domain names. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), charged a newly created independent company called Afghan Telecom with spinning off all telecommunications operations and services. Up from five functional internet service providers (ISPs) in 2003, Afghanistan supported twenty-two internet hosts and seven main ISPs, and a growing number of internet cafés and telekiosks (public access points located in post offices and at Kabul International Airport). The country currently has around 6,000 .af domains.[5]

Afghans have long recognized the internet as an important source of growth and development for the country, believing that information and communication technologies can create opportunities for disadvantaged groups and improve the access of the rural poor to markets.[4] In November 2006, the MCIT contracted a Chinese firm (ZTE) for the establishment optical fiber cable network in the country.[6] The price of internet gradually began reducing in the late 2010s.[7] 3G services began in the country in 2012 and are provided by all major telecommunication companies, including Afghan Telecom, Afghan Wireless, Etisalat, MTN Group, Roshan, and Salaam Network. 4G services became available as of 2017.[8][9][10]

History

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In the 1990s, Afghanistan was almost completely offline due to war and later banned from the internet by the Taliban.[11][12] During this time, Afghan websites were developed mostly by the Afghan diaspora in the west, including the first Afghan web directory, afghana.com, which launched in 1999 and provided a directory of local and international Afghan-related websites, Afghanistan maps, businesses, historical documents, chat services, email services, books, etc.[13][14][15] After collapse of the Taliban, there was an exponential growth of both ISPs and websites, fueled by governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as private enterprises. After the Taliban regained control of the government in 2021, they did not ban the internet as they did in the 1990s. They did, however, ban certain applications such as TikTok.[16]

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Internet user at Kandahar University in the south of the country
Female students using the internet at Herat University in western Afghanistan
Afghans using internet in Kunduz Province, in northern Afghanistan
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Freedom of expression is inviolable under the Constitution of Afghanistan, and every Afghan has the right to print or publish topics without prior submission to state authorities in accordance with the law. However, the normative limit of the law is clear: under the Constitution no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam. Mass media law has become increasingly attentive to more vigorous adherence to this principle. The Media Law decreed by President Hamid Karzai in December 2005, just before the national legislature was formed, included a ban on four broad content categories: the publication of news contrary to Islam and other religions; slanderous or insulting materials concerning individuals; matters contrary to the Afghan Constitution or criminal law; and the exposure of the identities of victims of violence. A draft amendment of the law circulating in 2006 added four additional proscribed categories: content jeopardizing the stability, national security, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan; false information that might disrupt public opinion; promotion of any religion other than Islam; and "material which might damage physical well-being, psychological and moral security of people, especially children and the youth".[4]

Independence of the media

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The independence of the media was also brought into question by the March 2004 Media Law enacted by the transitional government, which handed the Minister of Culture and Information important veto powers (e.g., foreign agencies and international organizations may print news bulletins only after obtaining permission from the Minister) and leadership of a Media Evaluation Commission that reviews appeals of rejections of licenses by the Ministry of Information and Culture. The proposed amendment to the Media Law in late 2006 dissolved the Media Evaluation Commission and two other regulatory bodies, the National Commission of Radio and Television Broadcast, and an investigation commission that reviewed complaints against journalists and decided which cases should be forwarded to courts for prosecution.[4]

Telecommunications services and their regulation

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With the approval of the Telecommunications Services Regulation Act in 2005 (Telecom Law), an independent regulatory agency called the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) was created out of the merger of the Telecommunications Regulatory Board and the State Radio Inspection Department (SRID) under the Ministry of Communications. The TRA assumed responsibility for telecommunications licensing as well as promoting sustainable competition for all telecommunications services.[4]

Licensing requirements are straightforward: companies must abide by the law to be licensed by the TRA, and only those with licenses can sell telecommunications services. Of the two types of ISP licenses, transit and national licenses, only transit licenses allow ISPs to establish international connectivity. Part of the TRA mandate is to protect users from the abuse of monopoly market share: companies determined to have “significant market power” must apply to have an amended license and are subject to additional penalties for anti-competitive behavior. A license may be revoked if the licensee has broken the law or has failed to fix repeated breaches in the agreement, has misleading/false information in their application, or does not pay the fee even after a warning.[4]

Under the Telecom Law, ISPs are duty-bound to protect user information and confidentiality. However, the TRA is also authorized to demand the operator or service provider to monitor communications between users as well as Internet traffic to trace “harassing, offensive, or illegal” telecommunications, although what constitutes these prohibited communications is not specified. Where an issue of national security or a criminal case is involved, operators and service providers must hand over the required information and give the authorities immediate access to their network. In cases where no such immediate need exists, the TRA still has the right to “relevant information” as long as the TRA has given two weeks’ notice. In its Acceptable Use Policy, the AFGNIC prohibits the use of the “.af” domain to make any communications to commit a criminal offense; racially vilify others; violate intellectual property rights; and distribute, publish, or link to pornographic materials that a “reasonable person as a member of the community of Afghanistan would consider to be obscene or indecent”. The ban on spam or junk mail also includes unsolicited political or religious tracts along with commercial advertising and other information.[4]

Security and intelligence

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On June 12, 2006, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), Afghanistan's national intelligence agency, issued a list of broadcasting and publishing activities that “must be banned” in light of heightened security problems that could deteriorate public morale. The list of proscribed press activities was quite extensive and attributed negative intention, causality, and morality to reporting on specific issues (primarily terrorism and the Taliban insurgency). President Karzai denied these were instructions, saying they were merely guidelines and a request for media cooperation. Restricted activities included the publication or broadcasting of exaggerated reports against national unity or peace; decrees, statements and interviews of armed organizations and terrorist groups; and even the proscription against news on terrorism serving as the lead story.[4]

OpenNet Initiative testing found no evidence of filtering in Afghanistan, although testing was not as extensive there as it was in some other countries.[4]

Statistics and services

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The Internet is available in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan. The country currently has 9,237,489 regular internet users.[1] According to a 2020 estimate, over 7 million residents, which is roughly 18% of the population,[17] had access to the internet.[3] It was reported in 2010 that Kabul, Jalalabad and Khost had the most internet users.[18] The country has 327,000 IP addresses, 23,000,000 mobile cellular telephone subscriptions and around 6,000 .af domains.[5]

Nearly all popular online services and over five million websites are available in Afghanistan, including Facebook, Google, Instagram, MSN, Netflix, Archive.org, PayPal, PlayStation Network, Skype, TikTok, Twitter, Discord, Google Play, Newgrounds, Tumblr, Wikipedia, Messenger, Hugging Face, Fandom, Viber, Signal, Threads, LinkedIn, ABC, ABC News, WhatsApp, SoundCloud, Flickr, Pinterest, Dictionary.com, The Free Dictionary, Yahoo!, Miniclip, Nitrome, ChatGPT, Bing AI, DeviantArt, BBC, Tenor, YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, Disney+, Hulu, Blogger, Dreamstime, Shutterstock, Archive of Our Own, Nico Video, GitHub, TinEye, Scratch, IQIYI, Reddit, and Zoom. Around 4,423,600 Facebook users were reported in the country.[1]

In early 2011, Paywast (in Dari پیوست ), a local mobile social network was launched. It is based on mobile, and its users connect with their friends and create groups and communities through SMS. With more than half of the Afghan population owning a mobile phone, Paywast is believed to have more than a million users across Afghanistan. The social network is available on the AWCC, Etisalat, and MTN GSM networks.[19]

Internet service providers

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The following are some of the internet service providers in Afghanistan:[20]

Censorship

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In April 2024, the Taliban government announced that they would block Facebook in the country, but it didn't happen.[40]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Asia Internet Stats by Country and Population Statistics". Archived from the original on 2019-02-04. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  2. ^ "Digital 2022: Afghanistan". 15 February 2022. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
  3. ^ a b "Afghanistan". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Afghanistan". OpenNet Initiative. 8 May 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
  5. ^ a b c "The battle for control of Afghanistan's internet". Wired (magazine). September 7, 2021. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  6. ^ "National Optical Fiber Backbone" (PDF). Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Afghanistan). 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  7. ^ "Govt Reduces Internet Prices By 37 Percent". TOLOnews. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  8. ^ "AWCC Opens 4G Internet Services for First Time in Afghanistan". Ariana News. May 4, 2017. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  9. ^ "Etisalat launches 4G LTE service in Balkh". Ariana News. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  10. ^ "3G / 4G / 5G coverage map, Afghanistan". Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  11. ^ "The Evolution in the Taliban's Media Strategy | Program on Extremism | The George Washington University". Program on Extremism. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  12. ^ "INTERNET and AFGHANISTAN" (PDF). June 2020.
  13. ^ admin (2004-09-09). "Hell of a Nation ~ Resources | Wide Angle | PBS". Wide Angle. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  14. ^ "Aid Organizations". quaker.org. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  15. ^ Marjan, Muhammad (2003). "Afghanistan" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2024-05-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  16. ^ Azadi, RFE/RL's Radio. "Taliban Bans TikTok, Popular Video Game In Afghanistan". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  17. ^ "Individuals using the Internet (% of population)". World Bank. 2020. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  18. ^ "Media in Afghanistan Archived 2011-05-28 at the Wayback Machine", Altai Consulting, July 2010
  19. ^ Paywast - Mobile Social Networking
  20. ^ "Internet Service Providers (ISP) - Ministry of Communications and Information Technology". Archived from the original on 2011-12-23. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
  21. ^ "Afghan Cyber".
  22. ^ "AfghaNet".
  23. ^ "AFSAT".
  24. ^ "Govt-Owned Telecom Company Wins Spectrum Assignment Auction". TOLOnews. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  25. ^ "AWCC expands communication, internet services in southern Afghanistan". Ariana News. March 3, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  26. ^ "Ariana Network Services".
  27. ^ "Telecommunications Company Launches 4G Services in Western Afghanistan". Khaama Press. October 13, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  28. ^ "Hewad ICT Solutions".
  29. ^ "Insta Telecom".
  30. ^ "Io Global Services Private Limited (IOG)".
  31. ^ "Liwal Telecommunications LLC".
  32. ^ "Movj Technology".
  33. ^ "Neda Telecom".
  34. ^ "North Telecom".
  35. ^ "Rahanet Internet Service Provider".
  36. ^ "RANA Technologies".
  37. ^ "Stan Telecom".
  38. ^ "TriStar Internet".
  39. ^ "Vizocom".
  40. ^ "Taliban Declare Plans To Block Access To Facebook In Afghanistan". The Friday Times. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
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