The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) set fixed prices for Internet packages and telephone calls for telecommunication networks.
According to information provided by the ministry, a telephone call costs 1.85 afghani per minute for subscribers of a single network and 2.2 afghani for customers of other telecommunication networks, and the cost of 1GB of internet has been set at 110 afghani.
"The price of 1 GB of Internet access is set at 110 afghanis, while off-net calls cost 2.2 afghani and on-net calls cost 1.85 afghani. Previously, 1 MB of Internet in Afghanistan cost more than 1 Afghani; as of right now, the cost is 0.11 Afghani,” said MCIT spokesperson Enayatullah Alokozay.
However, residents of Kabul said the price is set too high and they urged the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology to do something to reduce the prices.
"There are many problems. Because you don't understand how the credit is used it runs out very quickly. Sometimes the network takes the money before we use it for the call,” said Bilal, a resident of Kabul.
"When we recharge fifty Afghani balance in our phone, we talk for a few minutes and the call is cut off after a few minutes and the balance runs out,” said Jamshid, another resident of Kabul.
Residents of Kabul also complained about the low quality of the Internet.
"Internet consumption is very high. In the past, if we activated three GB, it would last for ten days, but now ten GB does not last for ten days,” Shamsullah, a resident of Kabul, told TOLOnews.
Some economists believe that telecommunications companies should provide offer more services at a more affordable price.
"In terms of the operations of telecommunications businesses in Afghanistan, improving quality and lowering prices are two crucial factors that might have a unique impact. The telecommunication companies should pay serious attention to these two important issues,” Shakir Yaqoobi, an economist told TOLOnews.
In Afghanistan's major cities, most people have access to the internet and telecommunications services, however, in the country's remote regions, access to these services is limited.
Comment this post