The Taliban takeover: What are telecoms looking like?
Oct 21, 2021 |
Posted by MadalineDunn
The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has been devastating for millions. There has been radical transformation and destabilisation ever since. As part of the coup, Taliban forces targeted cell towers and critical infrastructure. According to figures from the ATRA in June, a total of 301 telecoms antennas were destroyed over the last year, and 28 in the last month alone.
Yet, now the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA) has been taken over by the Taliban themselves, with its Minister of Telecommunications, Najibullah Haqqani, asserting himself as the head of the ATRA - despite having no previous experience in the sector.
Even prior to the takeover, the telecoms industry was struggling in the region, with equipment not being installed as promised, rumours of corruption were prevalent. It appears the situation has not improved since.
According to the Taliban, the telecom services are now back up and running in the country, with telecom sites in all of Afghanistan’s provinces operational.
The ATRA website has also reported a meeting with telecom representatives where discussions were had on bolstering service with expansion, improving regulation and enhancing security safety and communications.
