Afghanistan

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Afghanistan

Mobile networks and carriers in Afghanistan use 2 GSM bands, 2 UMTS bands, and 2 LTE bands. Find out if your unlocked phone or mobile device will work in Afghanistan. See the tables below for details.

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Afghanistan's mobile network has undergone significant development since its introduction in 2002. Initially, mobile phones were introduced publicly, and by 2009, the industry had five million users with four providers investing over $1 billion in building the network. By 2018, 19 million people were using mobile phones out of a population of approximately 32 million, with six telecommunication companies operating in the country. These companies include Afghan Telecom, Afghan Wireless, Etisalat, MTN, Roshan, and Salaam Network. The network coverage is extensive, with mobile phone networks available in almost all residential areas, although there are some gaps in coverage in areas not controlled by the government, such as parts of Kunduz, Baghlan, Zabul, Helmand, and Urozgan provinces.

The mobile network ecosystem is dominated by private companies, with five of the six providers being private and one having mixed private and government shares. Despite the extensive coverage, the cost of communication in Afghanistan is significantly higher compared to neighboring countries like Pakistan and India. The average monthly cost for mobile phone services in Afghanistan is around $6.70, which includes 140 telephony minutes, 70 text messages, and 2 GBytes of data transfer. This cost is equivalent to 21.09% of the average Afghan's income, which is much higher than the global average of 5.4%.

In terms of internet speed, Afghanistan ranks 180th in fixed-network broadband internet with an average download speed of 3.4 Mbit/second and an upload speed of 2.5 Mbit/second. For mobile internet, the country ranks 141st with a download speed of 6.1 Mbit/second and an upload speed of around 2 Mbit/second. The country's mobile internet infrastructure has seen improvements, with some providers now offering 4G services, primarily in Kabul and nearby provinces.

Carriers

Select a carrier to see frequency details
Name # of frequency bands in use
Afghan Wireless 4
Etisalat 5
MTN Group 4
ROSHAN 2
Salaam 4

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Frequencies in use

GSM

Name Interface
900 MHz (E-GSM) GSM
1800 MHz (DCS) GSM

UMTS

Name Interface
B1 (2100 MHz) UMTS
B2 (1900 MHz PCS) UMTS

LTE

Name Interface
B1 (2100 MHz) LTE
B3 (1800 MHz +) LTE

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