Afghan Wireless Opens First Internet Cafe in Afghanistan.Business/Technology EditorsKABUL, Afghanistan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 5, 2002 The Afghan Wireless Afghan Wireless is the name of a cellcular service provider in Afghanistan. The company provides wireless voice and data services with national and international connectivity. Communication Company (AWCC AWCC Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission AWCC Afghan Wireless Communication Company AWCC Association of Wisconsin Cleaning Contractors AWCC Active Well Coincidence Counter AWCC Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center ) has opened Afghanistan's first Internet cafe The high-tech equivalent of the coffee house. However, instead of playing chess or having heated political discussions, you browse the Internet and discuss the latest technology. CDs, DVDs, games and other "cyber stuff" are also generally available. in the Intercontinental Hotel, Kabul The InterContinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, has spent more time in the public eye than most of the Intercontinental stable. It was used extensively by Western journalists during the U.S. . AWCC views this launch as another step towards liberating and empowering the people of Afghanistan through the provision of readily available information and communication. The Internet cafe was piloted by AWCC during the time of the recent Loya Jirga Noun 1. Loya Jirga - a grand council or grand assembly used to resolve political conflicts or other national problems; "he convened a Loya Jirga that persuaded tribal leaders to acquiesce" (grand assembly) in Kabul. Political and tribal leaders from all over Afghanistan took part in the selection of the current transitional government at the Loya Jirga, and journalists and other attendees were seen using the adjacent Internet facilities provided by AWCC. Interest in the cafe is expected to be high following the overwhelming popularity of the GSM mobile phone service launched by AWCC in April of this year. Like the cellular phone network, readily available Internet connectivity is seen as a highly significant step towards restoring commercial and cultural mobility for Afghans inside and outside the country. AWCC's mission is not only to enhance communication within Afghanistan but to put the millions of Afghan emigres, many of whom fled following the 1979 Soviet invasion, back in touch with their friends and family. The opening of the cafe, which now offers broadband access from 11 workstations, proved particularly timely for the journalists and other officials attending the Loya Jirga, providing them with access to information and enabling them to exchange views and opinions with people outside Kabul. "I used to send letters and photographs to my family in The Netherlands which usually took at least 10 days to arrive. The Internet cafe means I can now send e-mail and photographs over the Internet, and my family can see them the same day," commented a local Kabul resident. In the coming months, Internet connectivity will expand in tandem with AWCC's deployment of communication systems to the main cities and provincial capitals of Afghanistan. Ehsan Bayat, an Afghan emigre and AWCC's founder says, "The launch of the first Internet cafe is part of AWCC's strategy to bring voice and data communications to the people of Afghanistan. We are experiencing phenomenal response to the availability of the mobile phone on our network and expect similar demand for the Internet throughout the Afghan society and economy. In the months and years to come I expect the Internet to facilitate the growth of our economy as it has in the rest of the developed world." Notes to editors: About AWCC: The Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) provides wireless voice and data services with national and international connectivity, and is a joint venture between Telephone Systems International Inc. (TSIntl), a US registered and privately held company privately held company A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly. headquartered in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY, and the Ministry of Communications of the Afghan government. In April 2002 AWCC became Afghanistan's first mobile communications service provider A Communications Service Provider or CSP is a company that transports information electronically. The term encompasses public and private companies in the wireline, wireless, Internet, cable, satellite, and managed services businesses. based on GSM technology. TSIntl was founded by the vision and commitment of TSIntl's President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , Ehsan Bayat, an Afghan emigre who left his homeland for the US in 1980. For more information, please visit www.afghanwireless.com |
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