Examine individual changes

'[[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> [[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 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 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 firm ([[ZTE]]) for the establishment of a countrywide [[Optical fiber|fiber optic]] 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 2016, there were at least 55 ISPs in the country with over 5 million internet users.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://atra.gov.af/en/page/telecom-statistics-2013 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-05-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407123229/http://atra.gov.af/en/page/telecom-statistics-2013 |archive-date=2014-04-07 |url-status=dead }}</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]], Salaam Network, and [[Afghan Wireless]]. ==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 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]] 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/> 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/> 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/> 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/> 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/> ==List of Internet service providers== According to the Afghan Ministry of Communications, the following are some of the Internet service providers operating in Afghanistan:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mcit.gov.af/en/page/16 |title=Archived copy |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> *RANA Technologies Enterprises (RTE) *Afghanistan Faiz Satellite Communication (AFSAT) *AfghaNet *Giganor *Afghan Cyber *Afghan ICT Solution *Unique Atlantic Telecommunication LTD *Northtelecom-af Internet Services Provider (ISP) *Ariana Network Services *CeReTechs *Insta *IO Global Services (P) Limited *Stan Telecom *LiwalNet *PACTEC International *Giganet *Aryan Technologies *Neda *TRISTAR ISP(INETRNET SERVICE PROVIDER) Afghanistan. *Vizocom *Noor Telecom *shit internet ==Usage per city== [[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] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110528161747/http://www.altaiconsulting.com/docs/media/ |date=2011-05-28 }}", 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== *[[Communications in Afghanistan]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{Commons category|Internet in Afghanistan}} {{Asia topic|Internet in}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Internet In Afghanistan}} [[Category:Internet in Afghanistan| ]]'